'^McoinW
The Continuing Story of
CAPCOM Cathy, Part 2
CAPCOM Engineering... designs today for your profitable tomorrow.
CAPCOM
CAPCOM, USA • 1283-C Mountain View/Alviso Rd. • Sunnyvale, CA 94089 • 408-745-7081
\
Wake up, Cathy
You love to dance.
To the beat of “SPEED RUMBLER”
You’ll get your chance.
The music’s hot
The game’s action is fast,
Ted feels like Super Joe
A hero at last.
Ted is no fool
He can teach Cathy a lot.
He just wants to be cool
“SPEED RUMBLER” is HOT!
MAY METER
Twice Q Month Publication for the Coin Op^eroted Entertainment Industry
Member
CONTENTS/
Volume 12, Number 14/August 15, 1986
FEATURES
Quiz gomes no triviol pursuit.
Soles may hove peaked in 1985, but new trivia and quiz gomes continue
to be introduced, and the morket for update kits remains strong as opero-
tors recognize the need to keep games fresh with new questions and cate¬
gories.
16
Coinmon: Moury Ferchen.20
President of Daily's Coin-Op division as well as the American Amusement
Machine Association, Maury Ferchen is hopeful that the industry's future vsrill
be marked by controlled growth and closer ties between operators, dis¬
tributors, and manufacturers.
Bookkeeping feotures key gome adjustments .. .. 24
The importance of moking game adjustments to increase earnings can
hardly be underestimated. Using bookkeeping features to determine
those adjustments is a valuable skill that many, if not most, operators hove
failed to develop.
Computerizing col is for caution.26
An operator, accountant, and developer of route-management software,
Jeffrey Rosenthal has some basic advice for operators who haven't yet
begun using computers to help run their businesses.
DEPARTMENTS
5 Up Front
6 News
30 Players' Picks
36 Equipment Poll
30 Record Charts
40 Tox Tips
42 Frank's Cranks
45 Management
47 New Products
51 Classified Advertising
56 Guest Commentary
Cover: Provided by Merit Industries.
PLAYFAIR
SHUFFLEBOARD
Shuffleboards
are back ..
and making
money!!!
Dimensions:
Playing Surface:
20'r long X JOT wide
Cabinet: 22' long x 27* wide
FEATURES:
• 3" Solid Maple Playing Surface
with Silk-Screened Graphics
• Microprocessor Controlled
• Over-Under Cash Box Doors
PLAYFAIR SHUFFLEBOARD CO., INC.
2303 DALE DRIVE
FORT WAYN^ INDIANA 46819
PHONE: (219) 747-7288
profits without problems
Dynamo's patented cue ball separator is the most reliable in
the industry. Its steel construction resists wear and gives the
operator years of trouble-free service. It also handles Dynamo's
2y4"ball as well as the standard oversized ball without
adjustment.
If you're interested in profits without problems, call Dynamo
today and find out how you can put a Dynamo table to work
for you.
POOL TABLES
SOCCER TABLES
Dynamo Corporation
(817) 589 7699
2525 Handley-Ederville Road
Toll Free (800) 527-6054
Richland Hills. Texas 76118
Telex: 732 432
STAFF
FOUNDER:
Ralph C. Lolly II
PUDLISHER:
Carol P. Lolly
EDITOR:
George R. Sigler
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR:
Donnie Theord
ART DIREaOR:
Kotey Schwa rk
TYPOGRAPHER:
Jo Ann Anthony
GRAPHICS DESIGNER:
Morgret Vincent
TECHNICAL WRITERS:
Frank Seninsky
Mark Attebery
CORRESPONDENTS:
Irving L. Blackmon
Richard Priesmeyer
Jeffrey Rosenthol
Roger C. Shorpe
Mike Show
John R. Storbeck
DIREaOR OF ADVERTISING/
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT:
Valerie Cognevich
COMPTROLLER:
John F. Lolly III
CIRCULATION MANAGER:
Renee' C. Pierson
ACCOUNTING:
Lenore R. Dromblett
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986. Volume
12, No. 14. Copyright 1986 by Skybird
Publishing Compony. Ploy Meter (ISSN
0162-1343XUSPS 358-305) is published
twice monthly on the 1 st and 15th of the
month, except February, when it was
issued once. Publishing office: 6600 Reur
de Lis. New Orleans. LA 70124; Moiling
address: P.O. Box 24170, New Orleans,
LA 70184, U5A.; phone: 504/488-7003.
For subscriptions: 504/488-7003. Sub¬
scription rotes: U3. and Conodo—$50.
Advertising rates ore ovailoble on
request. No port of this mogozine moy
be reproduced without express per¬
mission. The editors are not responsible
for unsolicited monuscripts. Ploy Meter
buys oil rights, unless otherwise sf:>eci-
fied, to accepted monuscripts, cortoons,
ait work, and photogrophs. Second-closs
postoge poid ot New Orleans, LA 70113
ond additionol moiling offices. Post¬
master Send Form 3579 to PLAY METER,
P.O. Box 24170, NewOrleons,LA70184.
4
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
UP FRONT
You can make a difference
/ am only one, but I am one.
I can't do everything, but I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do anything that I can do.
Vancie Todaro, the new president of the
Amusement and Music Operators of Texas (AMOT),
quoted those lines at the association’s recent con¬
vention. She is often praised as one person who
gives all she possibly can and offers sincere apolo¬
gies when she can’t do more. There are many people
like Vancie in this industry, but, unfortunately, there
also are many who believe that what they do doesn’t
make much difference.
Compared with other Industries, the coin-op
entertainment industry may be considered small,
but that only makes each member of the industry
that much more important. Manufacturers and dis¬
tributors often are quoted as saying that the opera¬
tors make the industry, or a healthy operator Is need
for a healthy industry. These are not hollow state¬
ments, because the operators who make their living
by placing games and other equipment In locations
truly are the lifeblood of this industry.
When talking with operators at state shows. It
amazes me how often an operator will tell me, “I’m
just a small operator, my opinion doesn’t mean
much.’’ But, on the contrary, his opinion Is what
shapes the entire industry. When he doesn’t buy,
manufacturers adjust production accordingly, and
distributors plan their purchases to fit needs. During
the boom years, it was the operators who bought all
the equipment that poured out from the manufac¬
turers. And It was the operators who first realized
what was happening and who first started making
the needed adjustments.
The Texas show had a good turnout of opera¬
tors concerned about the future of the industry, but
many were dismayed that several of the distributors
in the state elected not to show. A state show is
geared toward operators, and it Is surprising that
distributors, whose customers make the effort to
attend, don’t feel it’s worthwhile.
The manufacturers are battling a cancer
spreading throughout the industry in the form of
counterfeit and Illegally imported games. Many
operators maintain the position that they will save
money any way they can; they claim that manu¬
facturers have always taken advantage of them, so
it’s a way to return the favor. They can’t understand
why a copy ora parallel import Is “so much cheaper’’
and just assume that It’s because manufacturers are
charging more than the game is worth. Operators
justify their actions by saying their competitors do
It, and they don’t really believe that their few pur¬
chases really have any effect on the industry.
It’s sad to see such a rift developing ftiat could
be resolved. Illegal copies and parallel boards
wouldn’t be here If no one bought them. Maury
Ferchen, in his interview In this issue, says that
one of his goals is to Improve communication in the
Industry. He wants to hear operators’ opinions.
Look, there may be some unscrupulous manufac¬
turing people out there, but there could just as easily
be unscrupulous operators. Should everyone suffer
because of it? I think not.
The associations (the American Amusement
Machine Association and the Amusement and
Music Operators Association) are planning to work
together on this and other industry issues. They
aren’t doing it behind anyone’s back or being under¬
handed about it. They want your opinion, and if you
believe your voice doesn’t count, please read
Vancie’s quote again. You can’t do everything, no
one expects you to. But you really can do some¬
thing.
Valerie Cognevich
Director of Advertising/
Executive Assistant
PLAY METEK August 15, 1966
5
Merit buys
Nomac assets
Following three months ot negotia¬
tion, Merit Industries has agreed to
buy the assets of Nomac, Ltd., August
18.
The purchase includes all of
Nomac's tooling, patents, trademarks,
copyrights, and inventory. Merit will
maintain all Nomac personnel and
facilities. Nomac principals Fred
Kelley and Bill McClure will be avail¬
able on a consulting basis as needed.
Merit, manufacturer of Bull Buster
Darts, will add Pub Time Darts to its
product line. Peter Feuer, president of
Merit, said, "We hove acquired a well
established product line that is well
liked by players and operators. We
can greatly expand the market share
the product enjoys, and we plan to do
this by offering a support program of
league and tournament promotions,
outstanding service through our net¬
work of distributors, and engineering
strength to maintain the product at its
technical peak."
Feuer said Merit will continue to
develop promotional campaigns and
work with the newly formed AMOA
Dart Association. •
FBI seizes Face West
goods, records
FBI agents looking for counterfeit
and parallel games seized business
records, 70 printed-circuit boards, and
571 marquees July 22 in executing a
federal search warrant of Faco West,
Inc., a North Hollywood, Calif., dis¬
tributor.
According to Robert Fay, American
Amusement Machine Association
(AAMA) director of industry affairs, the
seizure resulted in a "massive" amount
of evidence for the FBI to sift through.
Some of the seized boards were par¬
allel imports, he said, but the exact
numbers of parallel and counterfeit
boards seized won't be known until the
boards are tested.
Fay said he will go to Los Angeles in
September, after federal authorities
have been able to review evidence
obtained in the search, to recommend
charges to the U.S. attorney.
Depending on circumstances in
the case, charges could be included in
a bill of information and the case
could be brought before a federal
magistrate. Otherwise, the govern¬
ment could seek indictments by bring¬
ing the case before a federal grand
jury. Charges are expected to include
trademark and copyright infringe¬
ment. Conviction on the charges
carries a maximum penalty of five
years' imprisonment for each count of
the former and two years' for each
count of the latter.
Faco West, with William B. Faith, Jr.,
named as the company's owner, is a
defendent in a civil suit filed in May by
Nintendo of America, which charged
that the company infringed Nintendo's
copyright of its VS. Excitebike game.
As a result of the suit, a federal court in
June enjoined Faco West from import¬
ing video games copyrighted by Nin¬
tendo of America.
Fay said more searches like that of
Faco West are expected to take place
soon throughout the U.S. There are
"about five priority cases" to be made
in cracking down on U.S. distributors of
parallel games and counterfeits, he
said, adding that the "targets" are
"renegade, outlaw distributors and
big operators."
The Faco West search resulted
from an investigation stemming from
operator complaints, according to
Fay, who said he's been receiving
about five calls a week from operators
Sony's Erol Uckan explains the company's player mechanism used in
Seeburg's LaserMusic compact-disc jukebox to service technicians
attending a Seeburg training session in Rosemont, Ill.
6
PLAY METER, August 15, 1966
telling ot competitors operating illegal
games. He said the number ot calls
increases after some action, such as
the Faco West search, takes place. He
refers the complaints to the FBI, which
then may interview the suspected
operator in hopes ot being led to the
source ot his illegal games.
Explaining that he has the names
ot "hundreds and hundreds' ot opera¬
tors ot illegal games. Fay said, "1 think
every operator at one time or another"
has operated counterfeit or parallel
games. •
AMOA recommends
standards
The AMOA through its industry-
standardization subcommittee, has
proposed several standards tor parts
and components tor the coin-op
amusement industry. The AMOA is
urging manufacturers to follow the
standards, which include the follow¬
ing:
"A1 coin door locks and cash door
locks shall be a standard 7/8-inch
barrel.
"A1 games shall hove a power
switch located on the upper left hand
section ot the cabinet.
"A1 games using electronic sound
shall hove a volume control located
on the left hand inside ot the coin door,
easily reachable and accessible
through the coin door.
"A1 games and coin machines
shall accept Canadian coins or ade¬
quately reject them so as not to cause
coin jams.
" A1 pinballs should utilize the stan¬
dardized bookkeeping procedure
with the same sequence ot functions
enabling owners/operators to easily
access and remember the format tor
calling up pinball bookkeeping."
The standardization subcommittee,
which is under the education commit¬
tee, was formed this year. Members
include Craig Johnson ot TATAKA in
Framington, Utah; Todd Erickson ot
Summit Amusement in St. Paul, Minn.;
Joe Dillon ot Williams Electronics;
Steve Blattspieler ot Bally; Frank
Ballouz ot Nintendo ot America, and
Dan Van Elderen ot Star Gomes in
Milpitas, Calif. •
Tho\isaxKls compete in
video tournament
More than 2,000 players from
across the U.S. competed at more than
300 Bally's Aaddin's Castle arcades in
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
the fourth annual Video .Game Mas¬
ters Tournament during the last week¬
end in June.
Players competed on more than
120 different games—ranging from
oldies like Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga
to more recent videos like Sarge,
Choplifter, and Super Mario Bros.—\o
ensure that each participant could
compete on game with which he was
familiar. The tournament's high
scorers, 120 in all, will be listed in the
next edition ot the Guinness Book of
World Records, which has a cumula¬
tive total ot 51 million copies in print. In
addition to the book listing, local and
national winners were awarded other
prizes, including trophies and certifi¬
cates.
Participants were charged a $5
entry tee, halt ot which was donated to
the March ot Dimes to help prevent
birth detects. In addition to tourna¬
ment eligibility, players received
"Video Game Master" identification
cards and certificates entitling them to
tree tokens before and after the com-
p>etition.
The tournament was co-sponsored
by the U.S. National Video Game
Team and Bally, which promoted the
contest with posters and brochures in
all their locations providing tourna¬
ment information. Marquee attrac¬
tions also were placed above all
tournament games to alert players.
"This was without a doubt the most
successful Masters competition ever
held," said Steve Harris, project direc¬
tor ot the video team. "We had a
record number ot porticipants—more
than 2,000 in three days—and raised a
lot ot money tor a very worthy cause.
The whole industry should be proud
that Bally hosted this event. It sparked
a tremendous amount ot enthusiasm.
"When we obtained the rights to
the tournament," Harris continued,
"our initial concern was to find loca¬
tions to host the event. By chance we
were led to Bally, whose wholesome
environment and dedication to the
player were perfectly suited tor this
type ot promotion."
The tournament received local
and national media coverage, includ¬
ing mention on the March ot Dimes
telethon and in The New York Times.
Jim Vollandt ot La Verne, Calif.,
who once played Joust tor 67 hours to
become the video-game marathon
champion, said the tournament is "the
only avenue that players can take to
get official verified scores. I wish there
were more video-game contests like
this one."
Verified video-game high scores
THE
CALENDAR
September 19-21
New York State Coin Machine Asso¬
ciation 4th Annual Convention, Folls-
view Hotel, Ellenville, N.Y. Contact
Curtiss D. Motterson, executive direc¬
tor, NYSCMA, 427 Kenwood Ave.,
Delmor, NY 12054, or coll (518)
439-0981.
September 28-00
Amusement Business Seminar ot the
Sands Hotel In Atlantic City, N J. Con¬
tact the Amusement Business Spon¬
sorship Seminar, 14 Music Circle East,
Nashville, TN 37203, (615) 748-
8120.
October 20-26
Notlonol Convention-Exhibit of
Vending and Foodservice Monoge-
ment, McCormick Ploce, Chicago, ill.
Organized by the Notional Automa¬
tic Merchandising Association. Con¬
tact Walter W. Reed ot (312) 346-
0370. 6,000 registrants ore
expected.
November 6-0
AMOA Expo '86, the Amusement G
Music Operators Association's 37th
Intemotionol exhibition ond seminar
for the coin-operated gomes, music,
and vending industry, Hyott Regency
Chicago. Contact Amusement G
Music Operators Association, 111 E.
Wocker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601;
(312) 644-6610.
Intemotionol Shows
October 2-16
Electronics Computer Tour, Japan,
Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong,
(optional extensions—Chino or
Singapore). Featuring Japan Elec¬
tronics Show, oil Jopon Audio Fair,
Intemotionol Optoelectronic Show,
Korea Electronics Show, Taiwan Elec¬
tronics Show, ond Hong Kong Elec¬
tronics Fair. Contact Commerce Tours
Intemotionol, Inc., 870 Morket Street,
Suite 708, Son Francisco, CA 94102,
(415) 433-3072.
October 6-9
JAMMA 24th Annual Amusement
Machine Show, Tokyo Ryutsu Center
(TRC), 1-1, HelwQjimo 6-chome,
Oto-ku, Tokyo 143. Organizers:
Japan Amusement Machinery Manu¬
facturers' Association, Room 704,
Nogoto-Cho TBR Bldg., 2-10-2,
Nogoto-Cho, Chiyodo Word, Tokyo
100, Jopon. Telephone 593-
2563/4.
7
Table hockey champion Robert Hernandez, left and Dynamo's Mark Robbins
demonstrate Dynamo's new table.
Singer Roy Head receives the Texas Rising Star Award from Vancie Todaro, new
president of the Amusement and Music Operators of Texas (AMOT), at the asso¬
ciation's recent convention banquet Also participating in the ceremony are,
from left Ronnie Daniel, AMOT past president Jerry Kaler, the association's
executive director, and Ross Todaro.
Texas operators getting a ftst-hand look at Seeburg's compact-disc phonograph
keep company representatives busy.
were first published in the 1983 edition
of the Guinness Book, which alotted a
small space to track the skills of a
dozen top players.
"We'd been getting calls concern¬
ing video games for almost two years/'
said David Boehm, editor of the book's
American version. "After we ran the
section on video games, we got tre¬
mendous feedback. More inquiries
were made regarding this section
than any other in the book's history."
High scores on coin-operated
video games now take up almost two
full pages in every edition of the
book. •
Texas operators meet
Nearly a hundred Texas operators
met in Austin for the Amusement and
Music Op)erators of Texas (AMOT)
annual convention in mid-July.
Seeburg exhibited its new Laser-
Music phonograph designed to ploy
compact discs. It was the first time since
its formal introduction to distributors a
month ago that the company had
shown the phonograph publicly. Op>er-
ators seen to be excited about its possi¬
bilities; the Seeburg booth remained
busy. Mobile Record Company, a fre¬
quent exhibitor at trade shows (the
only one-stop to do so), passed out its
compact-disc availability catalog of
more than 8,000 titles.
In a surprise announcement, Ed
Blankenbeckler, Seeburg president,
said the company recently hired
William Guler, previous with Handle-
man in Chicago, to organize Seeburg's
entrance into the one-stop business.
"We want to protect our hardware,"
said Blankenbeckler. "Selling com¬
pact discs fits into our plans nicely."
Bally's new Ram page was shown in
Southwest Vending's booth to enthu¬
siastic crowds. "'This game looks like
one of the best Bally has come out with
lately," said an operator waiting his
turn to ploy.
Mark Robbins, director of promo¬
tional sales for Dynamo hockey, and
Robert Hemande, the national air-
cushioned table-hockey champion,
demonstrated Dynamo's new air-cus¬
hioned hockey game. It is an elegant
piece of equipment, similar to Dyna¬
mo's pool tables. "Air-cushioned
hockey is a lot of fun, and can make
operators a good return on investment
with a little promotion," Robbins said.
Manufacturer representatives at¬
tending the show included Atari's Dick
Needleman, Nintendo's Art Gallager,
Merit's David Rubinstein and Don
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
8
SMART INDUSTRIES CORP., MFC.
1801 Bell Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50315
Phone: (515) 244-3500
BEAR CLAW MEANS BIG PROFITS!
A high volume machine that requires very low maintenance because of safe guards
programmed into the unit. There are two game programs built into the game board.
This allows you the selection that best fits your location. Optional dollar bill acceptor
mounted on the coin door, eliminates the need of making change and increases the
machines use. This means higher volume and profits!
SINGLE CLAW UNIT
Dimensions:
26'/4" Wide
34" Depth
58" High (Trailer Mounted)
81" High (Floor Model)
TWO CLAW UNIT
Dimensions:
483/8" Wide
34" Depth
58" High (Trailer Mounted)
81" High (Floor Model)
3-PLAYER
ll^ I Q|. 2 units $5495.00 ea.
^ 3 or more $4995.00 ea.
• Two Game Option (Fast or Skill) • Superior Joy Stick Control • Fully Adjustable Claws
• Breakdown Cabinet For Easy Handling • Optional Dollar Bill Acceptors
COMING SOON- THE SUPER SINGLE
1 or 2 units $3295.00 ea. 3 or more $3095.00 ea.
THREE CLAW UNIT
Dimensions:
71" Wide
34" Depth
58" High (Trailer Mounted)
81" High (Floor Model)
MADE IN a.S.A.
SINGLE PLAYER
1 or 2 units $2695.00 ea.
3 or more $2495.00 ea.
2-PLAYER
1 or 2 units
3 or more
$4295.00 ea.
$3895.00 ea.
Fuller, Ed and Mark Blankenbeckler
oi Seeburg, Tim Jackson of Romstar,
Bill Rickett of Dynamo, Byron Cook of
Tradewest, Mike and Kim Yaffa of
Status Games, Ron Yaffe of Showcase
International, and Emil Marcet of
Valley.
The Texas Rising Star award was
presented at the convention banquet
to Roy Head, a country-and-westem
singer who has had 32 songs on Bill¬
board's Top 100 record charts. His
song "Treat Her Right" sold a million
copies. Head and his wife were there
to accept the award.
On Sunday following the show, the
association sponsored a pool tourna¬
ment, which was conducted for the
fifth year in a row by Willie Elder.
Elder's wife kept track of the progres¬
sion of players. "We are very grateful
to Willie and his wife,"said AMOT
executive director Pat Miller, and
operator Bob Minnick added, "We
would like to thank Willie for all he has
done for our tournament. Willie has
contributed greatly to coin-op pool
tournaments." •
VNEA championships held
More than $25,000 in prize money
was awarded to winners of the sixth
annual Valley Notional 8-Ball League
Association International Champion¬
ships at the Bally Grand Hotel in Las
Vegas June 1-8.
In the men's divison. Red Sails No. 2,
representing Stansfield Vending, Inc.,
of LaCrosse, Wis., won the team
competition and a $5,000 prize. Scott
Kitto, representing Quad Cities Amuse¬
ments, Inc., of Davenport, Iowa, won
the singles championship and $1,000.
For the second year in a row, the
winning team in the women's division
was Cannon Lane of D8cR Star of
Rochester, Minn. Chris Glass, also
representing D8cR Star, won the
women's singles title. Cannon Lane
received $2,250 for its team victory.
Glass $600 for her singles cham¬
pionship.
The winners, who received plaques
in addition to the cash prizes, emerged
from the 23,754 players in 29 states and
three Canadian provinces who partic¬
ipated in Valley National 8-Ball
Leagues in 1986.
The Las Vegas competition, played
on 90 Valley Cougar ZD4 tables,
included 16 women and 32 men
playing for the singles titles and 160
men and 80 women vying for team
championships. •
Seebuig opens
CD one-stop
In conjunction with the introduction
of its LaserMusic compact-disc juke¬
box, Seeburg Phonograph Corp. has
begun operating a one-stop exclu¬
sively for compact discs.
Ed Blankenbeckler, Seeburg presi¬
dent, said the notional one-stop selling
directly to operators "is a way to
protect the razor by making sure the
blades are always available."
William Guler, formerly a top-level
executive of H.R. Handleman (called
by Blankenbeckler the "world's lar¬
gest rack-jobber"), joined Seeburg
July 28 as general manager of the one-
stop, named Seeburg Compact Disc
Distributing Corporation.
The company already has begun
taking orders and shipping discs,
Guler said, and is expected to be
operating full-scale by the end of
August. "We're trying to get set up as
soon as possible," he said, "because
the machines are rolling out."
Seeburg announced the formation
of its one-stop while exhibiting at the
recent Amusement and Music Opera¬
tors of Texas (AMOT) convention.
Another one-stop exhibiting at the
show. Mobile Record Service of Pitts¬
burgh, has been an ardent supporter
of Seeburg's compact-disc phono¬
graph and told operators attending
the show that more than 8,000
compact-discs titles are available. •
O’Reilly conviction upheld
The July 24, 1985, conviction of
Timothy O'Reilly on charges of dealing
in counterfeit coin-op games has been
upheld by the 11th Circuit Court of
Appeals in Atlanta.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lark Tanksley,
who prosecuted the O'Reilly case, said
that the appeals court decided the
government had provided sufficient
evidence that O'Reilly had violated
federal copyright laws.
O'Reilly, a 23-year-old Canadian,
was sentenced September 11 to five
years' imprisonment and ordered to
pay restitution to Data East USA. He
was released on probation after serv¬
ing little more than two months of the
sentence. •
AMOA expects no
Berne action in ’86
The Amusement and Music Opera¬
tors Association (AMOA), having fol¬
lowed congressional discussions of the
Berne Convention, expects no Senate
action in 1986 regarding the U.S. join¬
ing convention.
The Berne Convention is an inter¬
national agreement for the protection
of literary and artistic works dating
back to 1886. Approximately 75 coun¬
tries are signatories of the convention,
but the U.S. is not one of them.
According to Mark Griffiths, AMOA
director of government affairs, "It is
unlikely that the Senate will come to
any agreement this year, because
joining the Berne Convention could
require changes in U.S. copyright low.
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
Winners of the men's division at the sixth annual Valley National 8-Ball League Association
International Championships at the Bally Grand Hotel in Las Vegas display their plaques.
10
W Best Sellen
Under One (even
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Nintendo of America Inc.,
( 206 ) 882 - 2040 .
CNinTendoQ
Pla^Choice-/0
Mew from Hie
Hmt wrote Hie IhhHc on
mko ^Hiie syst&ns.
Nintendo has done it again. This
time with PlayChoice-10, the hot new
video game system that rives you ten
games in one narrow-body cabinet.
This sleek, compact, dedicated
system is designed to open up new
locations—going where no video
games have gone before.
Ten steady earners give it ten
times the appeal and ten times the life
of ordinary dedicated games.
Players can look forward to new
twists, new turns, new titles, and
innovations such as a unique stop-
action feature, skill level selection,
and multiple menu selection that lets
them play one game or many.
While the players keep coming
back, a new adjustable timer keeps
the quarters coming faster, too.
Games can be reordered on the
menu at any time. And a unique
accounting system keeps track of the
frequency of play for each game.
PlayChoice-10. Make it your
choice. You’ll find it’s a best seller ten
times over.
Nintendo
1. Baseball: A new single-screen ver¬
sion of the game that’s been batting a
thousand with video players.
2. Tennis: You’re all set for high profits
with five levels of difficulty, and a new
single screen version.
9. Wild Gunman:™ A quick-draw gun
game out for the first time, and hot as
a pistol.
6. Super Mario Bros.:™ Non-stop
excitement and new hidden surprises
are the name of the game with this best
seller.
3. Golf: Great earnings are par for the
course — an 18-hole championship
course, naturally.
4. Excitebike:™ Keeps profits “reved
up” with programmable features that
let players design their own course.
7. Duck Hunt:™ When it comes
to repeat play, this gun game really
fills the bill with action, excitement,
and fun.
8. Hogan’s Alley:™ A gun game that
has hit the “bull’s-eye” again and again
with players of all ages.
CNinTendoQ
Nintendo of America Inc.
P.O.Box 957
Redmond, WA 98052
©1986 Nintendo of A merica Inc.
"II the U.S. copyright low is opened
for amendments relating to the con¬
vention, there is nothing to stop it from
being opened for other types of
amendments unrelated to the conven¬
tion. There is no great effort underway
to make changes in copyright law this
year. The 99th Congress adjourns in
early October and will not reconvene
until early February 1987."
In April, AMOA counsel Roy Wolff
gave Senate testimony expressing
concerns of the coin-operated amuse¬
ment industry about the convention.
"Other industries also have concerns
about joining the convention," Griffiths
said, adding that the "AMOA will con¬
tinue to be involved in congressional
deliberations as they occur." •
NACA appoints Reinert
Michael Reinert, director of video
op>erations for Rowe International's
video-jukebox program, has been
appointed to the associate-member
advisory board of the National Asso¬
ciation for Campus Activities (NACA).
The NACA is the nation's largest
organization of campus-activities pro¬
grammers, and the associate-member
advisory board represents suppliers
who serve the campus-activities
market.
Reinert has experience as a
college-radio programmer, concert
promoter, and entertainment attor¬
ney. •
i \
Susan Jarocki
Susan Jarocki
joins Data East
Susan Jarocki has joined Data East
USA to work in market testing, adver¬
tising, product development, and dis¬
tributor sales.
Jarocki previously was with Atlas
Distributing of Chicago and has expe¬
rience in arcade management as well
as distribution. She has relocated to
California to take the new position. •
MOMA holds
summer meeting
Discussions of Minnesota's low on
video games of chance, parallel
imports and counterfeiting, and the
state of the industry highlighted the
recent Minnesota Operators of Music
and Amusements (MOMA) Summer
Outing and Seminars.
Held at the Radisson Arrowwood
Resort on Lake Darling in Alexandria,
Minn., the meeting also included darts
and golf tournaments, a banquet and
awards ceremony, and a coin-count¬
ing contest. Tami Norberg Paulsen
and Martin Kallsen were winners of
the dart tournament; Rollie Beach, Jim
Dubow, Rob Dubow, and Roy Hibarger
were golf-tournament winners; and
Rob Dubow won the coin-counting
contest.
Members of the panel that discussed
the state of the industry included
The Sights & Sounds of Success
... The Best of Europe and the USA!
NIGHTCLUB
& BAR
TWO LOCATIONS
LAS VEGAS ATLANTA
jan. 5-7, 1987 _Apr. 13-15,1987
SEMINARS/EXHIBITS/DEMOS
• Games • Telephones
• Pool Tables • Vending Equipment
• jukeboxes • Marketing/Management
• Lighting/Sound/Video
FOR MORE INFORMATION
(601) 236-5510
305 W. Jackson Ave. • Oxford, MS 38655
Where Club Industry Suppliers, Club
Owners and Managers Meet!
THE TICKET DISPENSER
—WITH EXPERIENCE
DELTRONIC LABS DL-1275 Ticket Dispenser fs now
available in kits—for quick and easy installation on existing
video, pinball and novelty games.
For more than 7 years, top amusement manufacturers
have relied on DELTRONICS LABS for quality ticket dis-
spensers, backed by prompt and efficient service.
Now this time-tested dispenser is incorporated in kits for
the same dependable performance on your present games.
You can renew player interest with tickets for awards and
bonuses—and keep them playing again and again and again!
DELTRONIC LABS, INC.
Eight & Maple Avenue • Lansdale, PA 19446
215/362-9112 • Telex 317054
PLAY METER, August 15, 1966
13
Bemie Powers ol Arachnid, Howard
Smoyer of Merit Industries, Ray
Hibarger ot Hanson Distributing, Linda
Winstead ot Lieberman Music, A1
Eggermont ot Music Service, and
Gene Winstead ot Twin City Novelty.
Hy Sandler, MOMA executive director,
was moderator. •
Dynamo promotes
hockey table
In an unusual demonstration at the
June 25-27 Food '86 Expo in Atlantic
City, a trade show tor the tood-and-
beverage industry, a Dynamo air-
cushioned hockey table was used to
demonstrate "how a cushion ot air can
improve productivity."
The manutacturer ot an air-powered
conveyer belt, Simplamatic Engineer¬
ing ot Lynchburg, Va., hoped to bene-
tit trom the demonstration, which
included an exhibition by Robert Her¬
nandez, the current air-table-hockey
national champion; Patrice Nale,
current women's national champion;
and Dynamo's Mark Robbins, the 1984
champion.
During the show, Hernandez, Hole,
and Robbins also conducted an exhi¬
bition at the Boardwalk Mall Arcade
in Wildwood, N.J.
More promotions involving Sim¬
plamatic, Dynamo, and the U.S. Air-
Table-Hockey Association are being
planned, according to Robbins and
Bob Blair ot Blair and McBrothney
Advertising Agency.
The Dynamo Hockey National
Championships are scheduled tor
September 13-14 in Boulder, Colo. For
more intormation, call Dynamo at 1-
800/527-6045 or (817) 589-7699. •
Seebuig conducts
service schools on CD
Forty-two service technicians trom
the Seeburg Corporation distributor
network attended tactory service
schools at the Holiday Inn in Rose-
mont. Ill., in late June and July to learn
more about the company s new
LaserMusic compact-disc phono¬
graph.
Each ot the three schools lasted
tour-and-a-halt days and included a
thorough explanation ot the Sony
player mechanism and the Seeburg
portion ot the LaserMusic system.
Cas Dabrowski and Jim Dziagwa ot
Seeburg and Erol Uckan and A1 Simon
ot Sony conducted the sessions. •
ICMOA holds
annual meeting
A hundred industry people gath¬
ered at Indian Lakes Resort in Bloom¬
ington, Ill., tor the Illinois Coin Machine
Operators Association's annual meet¬
ing in June. This year, tabletop exhibits
highlighted the event, and plans were
announced to have tull exhibits next
year.
Attendees were treated to a semi¬
nar on tournaments by Valley's Chuck
Milhem, Walt Lowry ot Lowry Music,
Arachnid's Sam Zammutta, Howard
Smoyer ot Merit, and Nomac's Bill
McClure; a session on cranes presented
by Ed Pellegrini ot Atlas and Ed Plotkin
ot Ace Novelty Company; and a
session on parallel imports and coun¬
terfeits by Memetron's Frank Cosentino.
The association raised $9,262.50 tor
its political-action tund at an auction
held atter the banquet. Valley's
Milhem was a sensational auctioneer
tor the second year in a row and may
become the otticial auctioneer. The
association presented awards to the
trade magazines, and Play Meter v/as
honored to be included.
The ICMOA's new otticers are Paul
Hottmeister, president; Ed Veloquez,
vice president; Dwain Kramzar, secre¬
tary; and Stan Williams, treasurer. •
standard Vending starts
weekly pool tournaments
Standard Vending and Music
Company's Waco, Texas, ottice has
begun sponsoring weekly pool tour¬
naments.
Under the pool-tournament system,
Operators look on attentively during a seminar at the ICMOA convention.
Chuck Milhem and his wife enjoy the banquet at the Illinois Coin Machine Operators
Association (ICMOA) convention. Milhem, president of The Valley Company, was the
auctioneer at the convention and helped raise more than $9,000 for the ICMOA's
political-action fund.
14
PLAY METEK August 15, 1986
weekly tournaments are held for eight
weeks, with first and second place
winners each week. Those 16 players
compete against each other in a tour¬
nament in the ninth week, and the top
three players from that competition
qualify for the annual state-associa¬
tion eight-ball tournament.
'This system promotes our own
pool tables in our own locations," said
Bob Minnick, Waco division manager
for Standard Vending. "We also want
to get as many participants in the
AMOT (Amusement and Music Oper¬
ators of Texas) annual pool tourna¬
ment as we can." The AMOT tourna¬
ment now coincides with the associa¬
tion's annual convention held in July. •
Jolly Backer
Backer joins Sente
Jolly Backer has joined Bally Sente,
Inc., as director of national sales. He
will be in Sunnyvale, Calif., and also
maintain an office at the compxmy's
manufacturing facility in Franklin
Park, Ill.
Backer hs been in the coin-op busi¬
ness for five years. He began his
career at Betson Pacific Distributing in
Los Angeles. He then became western
regional sales manager for Data East
USA. and most recently held the posi¬
tion of regional sales director for Sega
Enterprises. •
WUtelco 5000
now bi-linguol
Williams Telephone Company's
Wil telco 5000 private pay phone is
now available with a bi-lingual
option.
John Huddleston, national sales
and marketing manager for Williams
Telephone Co., said, "Now, with our
exclusive bi-lingual option, we can
really customize a phone to a loca¬
tion's particular needs." Huddleston
added that the company "plans to
offer other languages as demands in
the marketplace increase."
Wiltelco uses advanced memory-
compression technology to put vocab¬
ulary of both languages in the phone.
A retrofit kit is available to convert
Wiltelco 5000 phones that speak only
English. •
Promotion ties in Grand
Lizard, Toronto Zoo
Video Invasion of Toronto, Canada,
tied Williams' Grand Lizard pinball in
with the Metro Toronto Zoo in a June
promotion at two Video Invasion
arcade locations.
The seven high scorers on Grand
Lizard each week of the month
received passes to visit the lizards and
4,000 other animals at the 700-acre
zoo.
The contest was open to all partici¬
pants at the two arcades, and, in addi¬
tion to the zoo passes, the two top
scorers each week received Video
Invasion T-shirts.
Also as part of the promotion.
Video Invasion T-shirts were given
players for one cent with the purchase
of a $10 roll of tokens. According to
Wayne Fromm, Video Invasion presi¬
dent, the arcades' 144-shirt supply was
exhausted in two weeks. •
Sega appoints Hill
Sega Enterprises, Inc., has appointed
John Hill regional sales manager.
Hill will be based in Atlanta and
will be responsible for the entire
eastern region. He has 20 years of
sales experience in the coin-machine
industry. •
Mountain Coin
holds open house
Mountain Coin Machine Distribu¬
tors of Denver welcomed 64 operators
and factory representatives to its July
26 open house and outdoor cook-out.
While viewing new products, atten¬
dees were eligible to win door prizes,
including a Seeburg LaserMusic com¬
pact-disc phonograph, game kits,
three microwave ovens, parts credits,
and umbrellas, all donated by manu¬
facturers and Mountain Coin.
Mountain Coin also introduced its
new sales representative, Larry Mouro,
at the open house.
Among the factory representatives
there were: Bob Breither of Jeeburg,
Steve Palmer of Automatic Products,
Lenore Sayers of Sega, Brian Duke of
Nintendo, John Barone of Data East,
Mark Struhs of Dynamo, Russ Strahan
of NSM, Jay Wood of Ardac, John
Taylor of Vendo, and Tom Siemieniec
of Cinematronics. •
First-week winners in Video Invasion's Grand Lizard contest and Wayne Fromm (third
from right). Video Invasion president flash their awards—passes to the Metro Toronto
Zoo. To the right of Fromm is one of the promotional signs for the contest
PLAY METEK August 15, 1966
15
Quiz games
no trivial pursuit
By Mike Shaw
Whether or not the rumor that
the first coin-operated trivia game was
created by one of A1 Capone’s drivers
is true, that first rotating wheel of
questions and answers was the proto¬
type of a game concept that has sur¬
vived several decades and six or seven
generations of expression.
Mechanical games, film-projection
pieces, videos—each successive ver¬
sion may offer advancements on the
features of its predecessor. Still, every
trivia game is based on a single princi¬
ple: people enjoy challenging their
memories and pitting their knowledge
on a variety of topics against others.
The latest generation of coin-op
quiz-game madness started with the
summer 1983 introduction of FAX by
Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Exidy, Inc.
Maybe Pete Kauffman, Exidy presi¬
dent, built a trivia game only because
“nobody else was doing it,” but the
decision triggered one of the dominant
industry concepts of the mid-’SOs.
Operating considerations
Operators turned to trivia games
as part of their strategy to curtail
investment in youth-oriented pieces
and concentrate on adult locations
and the games adults play. Kauffman
might have been slightly ahead of his
time with FAX, but others who entered
the market about a year later found
tremendous acceptance of their
models. Status Games commonly is
given credit for ushering in the new
trivia era with Triv-Quiz, which bowed
in late 1984. It set the trend for suc¬
cesses to follow from manufacturers
like Merit Industries, Grayhound, and
Kramer by presenting trivia in a coun¬
tertop model and by periodically fur¬
nishing update kits with new questions.
Those two factors came to be the
most important considerations for
operators buying trivia games.
One manufacturer said that 75.
percent of his trivia-game sales have
been countertop models, the rest, kits
Status Games’ Triv-Quiz
for converting upright video games.
“This time around the trivia gam^
has served as a conversation piece as
well as a mental challenge,” said Mike
Yaffa, vice president of sales at Status.
“We consistently see people gathering
around the games and talking with
each other as they play. It’s a way
people are using to enjoy each other’s
company in bars. It’s also serving as a
way for people in bars to meet each
other.”
Most important of all in operating
trivia games, manufacturers and
operators agree, is keeping the games
fresh with new questions.
“We suggest that operators
change out questions and categories
every three months to keep their trivia
games earning at their peaks,” said
David Katz of M. Kramer Manufac¬
turing, marketers of the highly suc¬
cessful LA Trivia Challenge and more
recently. Trivia Madness.
“Keeping questions current is
undoubtedly the most important fac¬
tor in operating the games,” agreed
Peter Feuer, president of Merit Indus¬
tries, the manufacturer of Trivia Whiz
and other trivia-themed games.
Feuer explained that operators
can take several approaches to keep¬
ing questions current. Not only can
they purchase replacement kits
designed to update the games, but
they can shift questions from game to
game and location to location.
“Most trivia operators own lots of
the games,” he pointed out. “They
monitor their machines by keeping
track of how high the percentage of
correct answers gets. When the per¬
centage is too high, they know it’s time
to change questions. They can shift
question software from game to game.
That’s a very inexpensive way to keep
a lot of games fresh.”
Keeping questions fresh starts
with having a lot of questions to offer.
Perhaps that is the area in which the
new games have made the most signif¬
icant advancements over previous
models.
“Technology has gotten to the
point where you have the capability of
storing a tremendous amount of ques¬
tions,” Feuer said. Merit’s Trivia Whiz
IV, for example, offers 10,000 ques¬
tions.
Operators also can keep trivia-
game earnings high by offering dif¬
ferent categories of questions and,
perhaps more importantly, most man¬
ufacturers are bringing the games to
market as part of game “systems”
designed to be updated regularly by
changing out a board or even a chip or
two. M. Kramer’s Trivia Madness, for
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
16
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MARCH 20, 21, 22 • NEW ORLEANS^
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18
example, offers chip sets for 31 dif¬
ferent categories of 2,000 questions
each.
Additionally, game makers have
been bringing out coin-op quiz games
in a variety of focus topics. Several
manufacturers offer sex-trivia games,
and a couple have had success with
music trivias.
Operators who commonly pur¬
chase countertop games know that
the size of the game is always an
important consideration. The case is
no different with trivia.
“Too big is scary,” Katz said,
noting the reluctance of bar owners to
surrender too much bar space to a
countehop machine.
Sharp trivia operators also con¬
cern themselves with the quality of
entertainment of the games or soft¬
ware changes they buy. Above all, the
games should be fun, Feuer said.
“Trivia games should offer a com¬
bination of a test of knowledge and
entertainment,” he said. “There
should be fun in the game play, the
look of the game, and in the questions
themselves. One of the reasons our
games have been successful is that
people playing them have a good time.
People laugh when they play our
games.”
Slowdown
Manufacturers agree that 1985
was the year of trivia. Sales of new
trivia games have slowed considerably
in the past six months. Nevertheless,
they also report sales of some games
are still brisk and demand for replace¬
ment, update, and. conversion kits is
still high.
“We have seen the market taper
off,” Feuer said. “Not that sales aren’t
still strong, but they aren’t like they
were during the peak period of about a
year ago.”
“Most of our trivia sales are update
kits, now,” added Katz, noting that
Kramer was promoting its new card
game, Kramer Casinoy as replace¬
ment software for its trivia games.
In light of the market turn here,
some U.S. trivia manufacturers have
turned their attentions to the United
Kingdom, where trivia games are used
in payout form as SWP (skill with
prizes) machines. In the U.K., much of
the coin-game industry is dominated
by payout slot machines classified as
AWP (amusement with prizes) ma¬
chines. But the games are govern¬
ment-regulated as to how many such
machines can be placed in each loca¬
tion and how much money each win
can award. SWP-categorized machines
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
such as trivia games are far less
restricted and, therefore, far more
profitable to operate.
In spite of the slowdown, most
trivia manufacturers aren’t backing
away from the games. They continue
to market new quiz-game ideas and
support their existing machines with
update chips containing new ques¬
tions and with new trivia ideas in the
form of conversions.
“In fact,” Katz pointed out, “you’re
likely to see another nationally known
company putting its name on a new
trivia game soon, in much the same
way Anheuser-Busch did with LA
Trivia Challenge.''
It is likely that new quiz-themed
games will continue to emerge. Much
like other adult-themed games, such
as poker, quiz games never seem to
wear thin.
“There will always be people in the
playing public,” Feuer said, “that like
to exercise their minds without risking
their egos.”
The games
The following is a list of the most
popular of the current generation of
trivia games. Games are listed accord¬
ing to company, alphabetically.
Bally Sente
Trivial Pursuit —Translates the
popular board game into a coin-
operated video game, but, unlike the
board game, players (one to four)
select answers from possible choices.
Players attempt to land on four corner
squares and answer resulting “Think
Tank” questions correctly.
Grayhound Electronics
Video Trivia —Players wager
points on questions selected from
several categories. The game does not
show correct answers when wrong
answers are given. It is designed for
convertibility.
Konami
Wizz Quiz —This game enables
two players to answer the same
question in head-to-head competition
and work against the clock. Graphics
feature animated wizards who are
crowned with dunce caps for incorrect
answers. It converts Track & Field
PCBs and offers questions in five
categories.
M. Kramer Manufacturing
LA Trivia Challenge —Via an
arrangement with Anheuser-Bush and
the New American Library (a trivia-
question publishing company), this
game was the recipient of plenty of
promotion and lots of trivia expertise.
Questions can be changed out by
replacing the EPROM. Game ameni-
PLAY MEIEK August 15, 1966
ties include an accounting system that
lets an operator monitor the number
of plays in each trivia category.
Trivia Madness —Each game
comes with five categories and 2,000
questions in each category. Alto¬
gether, there are 31 categories avail¬
able as chip replacements. The game
is available in upright, countertop,
cocktail, and conversion-kit versions.
Merit
Trivia Whiz —This game takes a
variety approach with plenty of
updates available with questions on
sports, entertainment and music, and
a special true-false segment contain¬
ing several fields of questions. It is
available in all game-cabinet styles,
including cocktail.
Phraze Craze —This game tests
players’ knowledge of popular phrases.
The special conversion Sex Phraze
includes operator-selectable XXX-
rated phrases. The game offers an
attract mode to draw players.
Tic Tac Trivia—A trivia-strategy
game for one or two players, this game
has a 10,000-question set divided into
categories of sports, entertainment,
general interest, rock and roll, sex
trivia, strange-but-true, and others. It
is available as a nine- or 13-inch coun¬
tertop, upright, cabaret, cocktail, or
kit.
PGD
Progressive Music Trivia —
Available only as a kit to convert hori¬
zontal or vertical uprights or cocktail
tables, this trivia game plays music
and offers written trivia questions.
SMS Manufacturing
Trivia Hang-Vp —This upright
encourages players to challenge each
other’s knowledge of movies and TV,
sports, music, and a category called
“Anything goes” with a “steal feature”
that allows one player to steal points
from his opponent by answering ques¬
tions correctly that the opponent has
answered incorrectly.
Status Games
Triv-Quiz —This is a countertop
introduced as a game system that pro¬
mises easy updating through conver¬
sions. Players build point totals by
wagering on questions before answers
appear, then correctly answering the
questions.
Baby Boom Challenge— An¬
nounced as an expansion of the
“Status System Library,” this game
enrolls players in Baby Boom Uni¬
versity as they work their way through
a maze toward graduation by ans¬
wering questions, correcting spelling,
and defining words. It is available in all
game-cabinet forms. •
Keen attention to every detail
of your order with delivery
on time guaranteed.
• Overnight shipment on
Stock Tokens
• 3-4 week delivery on
Custom Orders
• Free design service
For sample, information or
to place an order,
call us Toll-Free.
Roger
Williams
Northwest Industrial Park
79 Walton Street
Attleboro, MA 02703
*ln Mass., call (617) 226-3310
19
COINMAN INTERVIEW
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Maury Ferchen
Maurice **Mauiy'* Ferchen, president of Ballr^'s
Coin-Op division, began his industry career in Septem¬
ber 1983 when he joined Bally as president of its
Aladdin's Castle, Inc., subsidiary. He had spent the
previous 20 years with Montgomery Ward, and his
retailing background certainly has helped him in the
coin-op industry.
In April 1985 he was named president of Bally
Midway and with the recent formation of the Coin-Op
division advanced to his current position.
Ferchen also recently was elected president of the
American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA),
and said that one of his goals during his tenure is to
strengthen the lines of communication among all seg¬
ments of the industry.
Would you briefly explain Bally Corporation's
structure?
“Bally Manufacturing owns health and fitness clubs
across the United States, Six Flags Amusement Parks,
casino businesses, and fitness products and handles
lotteries through a company called Scientific Games.
Our division is called Bally Coin-Op and is composed of
Midway Manufacturing, Bally Sente, Bally Aladdin’s
Castle, and our one distribution office in Phoenix. I
answer directly to Bally Manufacturing Chief Operating
Officer Roger Keesee, who is in charge of all of Bally’s
divisions and answers to Bob Mullane, president and
chairman of the entire Bally Manufacturing network.”
How is the Aladdin's Castle division doing?
“We are very happy with the division. It’s doing very
well. As you know, we have closed quite a few stores. We
were at 456 stores at the peak and now operate slightly
over 300 stores. We closed stores that were in strip
malls, downtown, college locations that were free¬
standing stores, and stores in malls with vacancy
problems. We are basically in malls that are larger and
more substantial; that is the direction we will be heading
in the future. As to how they are doing saleswise, we
think we are doing well. We always would like more sales,
but the stores we have are structured well and have
excellent management in the locations. We are very
happy with the stores.”
After closing the stores, have you done anything
different with the ones remaining?
“We are promoting the stores heavily with birthday
by X/fllcric Cogncvich parties and many other promotions with restaurants and
fast-food places, pizza restaurants, anything to get
people in. We are happy about the way our managers are
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20
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
6 1 think we can do much more in communicating with
each other. The more we talk to each other and the
more we share information, the better this industry
will be. 9
handling the promotions. We have developed a signifi¬
cant portion of our business from these promotions.
Besides that, it makes it a fun place to be. There is a
family atmosphere, and that is really what we want.”
What do you think was the major mistake made by
those who opened arcades during the video boom?
“During the peak of the business—and I am not just
talking about the people who aren’t open now—we all
made the same mistake. We just expanded at a tremen¬
dous rate that was too rapid to control. When you do
that you tend to get into locations that you really
shouldn’t be in. Location certainly is important to any
arcade. You have to be where there is a lot of traffic. You
need a lot of foot traffic going past the arcade. During the
peak there were a lot of free-standing and strip-center
locations that didn’t have enough traffic to justify the
location.”
What prompted Balli;*s decision to leave the dis¬
tributing end of the business?
“We decided to get out of the distribution business
because our thought was that there are many very sub¬
stantial independent distributors that could handle the
product from Midway and Sente in a very efficient and
effective manner—distributors such as C.A. Robinson,
Shaffer, Brady, Betson, Leiberman, Laniel, and many
others that we think are excellent distributors and can do
the job for us. We saw no need for us to be in that busi¬
ness. It has been proven in the past, and we have had the
same feeling, that distribution run by a corporate struc¬
ture is very difficult to handle properly. It is much more of
a ‘hands-on’ business that the independent distributors
have today. They are there talking to operators, they are
supplying the service and credit for the operators. They
really know the people on a first-hand basis. That is
something you lose when you run distribution centers
from a corporate headquarters.”
When Bally; decided to get into distributing, did it
seem that the corporate structure would work?
“I can’t really answer that because that was prior to
my joining the company. At the peak we had 23 distribu¬
tion centers across the U.S. Today we have one in
Phoenix that we are going to keep. It is an excellent
location with a wonderful manager in Sal DeBruno. We
have a good sales situation. We are basically keeping
Phoenix in order to keep our pulse in the business.”
Does the used equipment from Aladdin's Castles
locations go through that distributorship?
“No. We haven’t at this point, and I have no inten¬
tion of doing that.”
How do you see the role of the distributor in the
industry?
“The distributor is the direct link between manufac¬
turers and operators. I think the key issue is that the dis¬
tributors really supply all the service, parts, knowledge,
training, sessions—everything the operator really needs
to be successful with the equipment that comes from the
manufacturers. They are an integral link serving a need
that manufacturers can’t serve nearly as well.”
Are you confident that a distributor can represent
your product fairly although he may represent
nearly all manufacturing lines?
“I think any manufacturer would tell you that they
would rather have distributors sell nothing but their
particular products, but that isn’t the real world. I think
all the distributors are doing a fine job servicing many
products. We have no problems with that. Of course,
having good product is the key. It’s what keeps the
distributor healthy, which is important to all of us.”
When kits were first being introduced, Bally was
adamantly opposed to them for various reasons,
some which were proven right. But kits are a vital
part of the industry now. How does Bally feel about
them now?
“There is a market for kits that go into dedicated
cabinets, but there seem to be many, many kits on the
market. I’m not opposed to manufacturing kits here, and
I think when the time is right we may do that. But today
we are certainly dedicated to the Sente system and inte¬
rested in dedicated games from Midway. I feel the dedi¬
cated game is doing very well, as you have seen from
some recent ones. If it is a quality product, there is
definitely a market. What I’m saying is there is a need for
different things in the market. Operators don’t just need
kits, or just need dedicated games, they need a variety
to keep their businesses strong.”
Is there a trend toward manufacturers making
more dedicated games?
“I think when a company has a game that earns like
some of the dedicated games being introduced lately, it
shows the need for that type of equipment. We are very
excited about our new dedicated piece. Rampage. It has
a good acceptance and is earning exceptionally well. It
also proves that if you have a good product, the dis¬
tributor and operator will buy a dedicated game.
Mediocre games or games that are a five on a scale of one
(continued on next page)
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
21
to ten will have difficulty making it in a dedicated market.
If I put my operating hat on, I would buy games that earn,
and that’s what makes the business go round. It also
makes the manufacturers work hard to put out quality
product.”
What process goes into introducing a game that
you hope will be a winner?
“If we were all experts on that, there would be no
bad games. But we do a very thorough job of testing and
let the end user determine what rank a game should be.
You must have a feel for the market and know what age
group you’re trying to appeal to and what really turns
them on and what excites them. We test our games both
in Aladdin’s Castles and with our distributors and with
some outside locations not associated with Bally. We like
to test at least three weeks, sometimes a maximum of six
weeks.”
How mani^ games are tested but not produced?
“It happens, but not too often. It’s difficult, because
once a game gets to the testing stage, we have already
done most of the preliminary work and are confident the
game will do well. There are exceptions, but not often.”
Who can get a copy of the test results?
“Anyone can get the test-result information. We
make a lot of adjustments and corrections when the first
game goes out. We use the test period to make the game
as perfect as we can make it.”
Why has Ba//y decided to develop games in-house
and not license games from the Japanese, as many
other companies are doing?
“That decision was made prior to my being a part of
Midway. But though the decision was made to have in-
house development, we will always look at things to
license. If something exceptional comes along, we could
license a game. We have an exciting group of develop-
“The pinball market is stronger today than it has
been in the last several years. I think there is an entirely
new generation of people and age groups playing pinball
than five years ago. As you’ve seen with all the pinball
product, there are more exciting features on the play-
field, more exciting types of games. The games being
produced are attracting a new, younger cult. This in my
opinion is what has increased pinball business. We have
a new pinball called Black Belt and a steady line of pin-
balls to follow. We have regrouped our pinball depart¬
ment and have some exciting new designers. We look
forward to some steady growth in that market.”
How has Bally's approach to manufacturing
changed?
“I think we have made a lot of changes from the
video-boom days. Our approach to manufacturing today
and the market the way it is in video and pinball is to run it
like any other business. In the boom days the sales were
such that you could almost do anything in manufacturing
and have overruns of games produced and still come out
very well. In today’s market we have structured a lean
and mean type of operation that is geared to make a run
close to what we anticipate the market is going to be. It is
a much more controlled business today than during the
boom days because the volume is much different. Manu¬
facturing changes all the time. We are looking to upgrade
our quality and just trying to do it in a more businesslike
manner.”
What do you feel was the most significant thing the
industry learned from the video boom?
“Anyone in the business today definitely learned a
lesson. I know we have. I think we have to be very careful
that expenses are controlled and businesses run like any
other business. Businesses expanded during the boom
days at such a rate that it was impossible to control. In
today’s market, obviously, the credit policies are much
more important. I think everyone learned from it and are
niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin
“Mediocre gomes ... will have difficulfy making it in a dedicated market. If I put my
operating hot on, I would buy games that earn, and that’s what mokes the
business go round. It also makes the manufacturers work hard to put out
qualify product.”
ment people here at Midway. We do all our own R&D
today and think there are advantages because you can
keep on top of product and know what is coming. With
licensing there is a constant battle to get the best games.
It is much more difficult today to license a game than
several years ago, because many of the Japanese com¬
panies have companies in the U.S. today. So picking a
winner is a lot more difficult. So we feel very comfortable
with our development group. One of the rewards is a
game such as Rampage. It was strictly developed here at
Midway, and it can go up against any of the licensed
games.”
Bally is famous for its pinball games. Is that market
strong again?
running their businesses accordingly.”
How is the coin-op entertainment business doing
as it competes with other forms of entertainment?
“I have always thought we directly compete with the
movie and record industry. It seems when there is a hit
movie or two or three in a row, or a hit song, the dollars
shift in that direction. For example, Michael Jackson
changed the record industry. It went down for about five
years and all of a sudden it was booming back. I think the
important thing we have to do In this business is
constantly be innovative and never be satisfied with what
we are doing. We’re in a business that if we aren’t
changing every day, we are not going in the right direc¬
tion. We must come up with games that are so exciting
PLAY METEK August 15, 1986
22
that players would rather play a video or pin than spend
that same money on a movie or music. As long as we
keep our business exciting and changing, we can
compete very well.”
Do you feel the industry should and could do more
in promotion?
“That is one of my concerns in the AAMA. I think we
can do much more in communicating with each other.
The more we talk to each other and the more we share
information, the better this industry will be. It is very
difficult to advertise our type of business on TV stations,
on the radio, etc. simply because it is prohibitive because
of major expenses involved. We must constantly keep
our product exciting so that word of mouth will get
association. If we share our concerns and needs in the
industry, we will see a much stronger industry, and that is
what I hope to bring to the game. Another reason I think
we will do so well with AAMA is our new executive vice
president, David Weaver. He really runs the show day in
and day out and is doing an outstanding job. Also, the
addition of Bob Fay, who has the FBI background, will
greatly add to the association’s effectiveness and
strength.
Explain exactly what the parallel problem is.
“It is the unlawful importation and distribution of
products, in this case amusement games or compo¬
nents, legally manufactured abroad but shipped into the
U.S. in violation of exclusive distribution agreements
‘We don’t need to look just for the one saving thing for the industry or the one
boom period. If we just go on with the controlled growth and constantly come
up with exciting product, the next few years will be very good for this industry.”
around that it is the fun thing to do.”
Do you think there is any technological boost forth¬
coming like some blockbuster innovation?
“I hope so! [But] I don’t think the industry can run
solely on the assumption something is coming along. As
long as we keep changing, a blockbuster innovation may
just come along. But I don’t know if anyone knows what it
will be. We’ll find out when our customers tell us.”
Do you agree that the industry seems to be on an
upswing?
“I do. It started leveling off in July/August 1985 and
seemingly has been on a nice controlled steady growth
since. I think the industry is on an upswing. The manu¬
facturers, distributors, and operators are all much
smarter business people. I think it will continue in that
direction. What we are all looking for is some real steady
growth.”
You have just been named the new AAMA presi¬
dent. What are some of the association's accom¬
plishments, and what do you hope it will accom¬
plish during your term as president?
“Since the beginning of AAMA with Joe Robbins
and Bob Lloyd the association has accomplished many
things. In the last year Bob began fighting parallel imports
and counterfeit boards. They did such an outstanding
job that I see my position as keeping the trend going in
that direction. We still have a major problem with parallel
boards. I will try to get everyone closer and make sure we
all understand each other’s problems. When I talk to dis¬
tributors, I realize the problems distributors and manu¬
facturers have are common problems. Same with opera¬
tors. We are in the operating business, so I understand
how operators think and their concerns. We will try to
get very close to AMOA and have joint sessions with
them. We will be working with JAMMA [the Japanese
counterpart of the AAMA] and trying to get closer to that
PLAY METER. Auoust 15. 1986
and/or copyrights held by the legitimate U.S. importers
of these games or components.”
Do you think there is a chance that the parallel
imports and copied boards could substantially
reduce the amount manufacturers spend on game
development?
“I don’t think it will reduce the amount a manuac-
turer spends on his own development. It’s not going to
reduce ours, and in talking to others I don’t think it will
reduce their in-house development. Because of the
relationship of the yen to the dollar todav, we are seeing a
trend of less parallel boards and more counterfeit boards
coming in. So although the parallel board problem is still
there, it is changing to more counterfeit boards.”
Aside from parallel imports and counterfeit
boards, what other problems is the industry
facing?
“I will just go back to my earlier comments that we
must continue to manage the control of growth in the
business. We’ve all learned our lessons. One of our pro¬
blems on a continuing basis is to communicate what kind
of product is available and what the earnings are. We
often don’t communicate that properly so the operators
are aware of what’s coming out and what the earnings
are or what the return on investment could be on a piece,
etc. That is something we must do.”
What do you see in the industry's short-term^
future?
“The long-term future relates to the short term.
Product, of course, is very important in that we never get
to be fat cats again but are constantly looking for new
ideas. We don’t need to look just for the one saving thing
for the industry or the one boom period. If we just go on
with the controlled growth and constantly come up with
exciting product, the next few years will be very good for
this industry.” •
Bookkeeping features
key game adjustments
by John R. Storbeck
To some, St. Paul, Minn., opera-
tor Todd Erickson would seem a magi¬
cian. He can take games that every¬
body else has given up on, and make
them work at a profit. He likes to tell
the story, for example, of a Split
Second game he bought used. By the
time he got it, he said, it had been can¬
nibalized for the memory chips.
Nobody had ever reached the second
replay level or beaten the high score to
date. The machine had been paying
out somewhere around 12 percent, of
which 10 percent was match. The pre¬
vious owner, who “had been in the
business for 20 or 30 years,” thought
the machine was a “dog.”
Erickson thought otherwise. He
put the game back on location, and,
sure enough, it earned more than $100
a week and was, he said, “always my
number-one or number-two game.”
Or take another game. Food Fight,
that wasn’t highly rated when he
bought it several years ago “on close¬
out.” After Erickson placed it on his
route, it became his “number-one
game in each location for two to four
weeks,” and was beating even his sit-
down Pole Position. The game, he
said, was “very strong for quite a
while” afterward.
What’s his secret? What sleight of
hand, what incantation does he use to
turn dogs into pedigreed prize¬
winners?
No secrets, Erickson would say.
No sleight of hand or charms. He
would sum up his magic in two words:
game adjustments. With Sp/if Second,
he reprogrammed the game so the
player could win a “good, solid 30 per¬
cent.” With Food Fight: “I adjusted it
so it was a two-and-a-half, three-
minute game.”
Game adjustments. Erickson
believes in them. He estimates that
operators can increase their revenues
by from 30 to 40 percent by keeping
their games properly adjusted. But
Todd Erickson
some people, he said, “don’t realize
the importance of it.” They pass judg¬
ment too quickly. A year ago, an oper¬
ator asked to buy one of Erickson’s
Food Fights, “for the cabinet.” Erick¬
son said no, the machine was still
good. When the operator disagreed,
Erickson replied, “Why don’t we look
at the meter: the cash box is always
right.” When they opened the game, it
wasn’t Erickson who was surprised to
find nearly 35,000 plays recorded in
the machine. Erickson recalled, “He
said to me, ‘Geez, I didn’t think it was
that good.’ ”
The fact of the matter is that many
operators are not aware of all the
bookkeeping features that are avail¬
able in their machines or, more impor¬
tant, how to use them in making
adjustments. Mary Fujihara, director
of marketing research for Atari
Games, described it this way: “It’s not
the majority of operators who use this
data—it’s a small minority, still.”
Things, however, seem to be changing.
“It used to be,” Fujihara said,
“practically anything you placed into a
location earned money.” But after
1982, she continued, “the whole indus¬
try became more competitive. You
had to really work at drawing players
into the location and keeping them
there.” With the market saturated and
players “inundated with product,” she
said, operators have had to respond
by paying more attention to option
settings and accounting data.
Fujihara made another point:
“Players in the heyday of the industry
[were] much more willing to pump in
$20 to learn how to play a game
through the initial few weeks.” Now,
she said, if a game is too difficult or too
confusing, “they may walk away, and
you may lose them forever.”
Perhaps most important is the
“growing diversification of players
across the country.” No longer, said
Fujihara, are there universal option
settings that are appropriate “for any
type of location, for every type of
player.”
What, then, is available to the
operator, and how can he use that
information to “tailor his game,” as
Fujihara put it, to a specific clientel?
All games today have some kind of
bookkeeping package, although it
varies from game to game. The whole
premise of bookkeeping, Fujihara
said, is to give an operator the infor¬
mation he needs to determine the
optimum settings for a specific loca¬
tion. Put another way, it gives an oper¬
ator an “analytical poll” he can use to
find out whether his players are
getting the best “game-play value.”
Typically, a bookkeeping package
records coin-accounting information
such as the number of coins dropped.
Alex McKay, director of research and
development at Cinematronics, ex¬
plained that Cinemat-system games
take the coinmeter concept a step
farther: in addition to a lifetime coun-
ter, Cinemat games have a period
counter, which enables an operator to
look at how a game did in a specific
length of time, over a weekend, for
example. Another feature of the Cine-
mat system is the coin multiplier,
which translates data like a number of
tokens into dollars.
The bookkeeping packages in
most, if not all, games also record
game characteristics, such as the
number of one- and two-player games.
If a machine has third- and fourth-
player capabilities, bookkeeping will
account for the number of three- and
four-player games. Some machines—
like those in the Cinemat system—
may tell how many games the player
has won against the computer, and
vice versa. Atari packages also record
the total number of games played.
Fujihara explained a feature of
Atari’s coin-accounting package she
calls a “key statistic” in evaluating a
game’s success. The feature enables
operators to calculate the percentage
of time the game is in play against the
time the game is powered on. If an
arcade game, for example, is turned
on 12 hours a day and is being played
10, interest is obviously high. “If it’s
only being played three hours out of
12,” Fujihara said, “you can tell it’s not
even getting first-time play.”
One of the newest—and certainly
one of the most useful—features to
find its way into bookkeeping pack¬
ages is the histogram. Bally Sente uses
histograms to show things like game
time, game level, and game scores.
Cinematronics uses similar displays (it
calls them game-duration graphs) for
game time. Atari, however, was the
first to incorporate such a feature in its
Mary Fujihara
accounting package, and it is con¬
sidered by some—Todd Erickson
among them—to be the leader in the
field.
Simply put, a histogram is a form of
time analysis. “It’s a chart,” Fujihara
said, “that represents a frequency dis¬
tribution, and on our games that dis¬
tribution equates to game times per
coin.” In other words, it shows the
operator the distribution of times he’s
getting for his players on a given
setting—how many players under a
minute, how many over three minutes,
how many over five, and so forth. On
some Atari games, the histogram may
have a range that stretches over nine
minutes in increments of 30 seconds.
Atari uses bar charts for that purpose
in some of its games—as do Bally
Sente and Cinematronics. Bally’s Rich
Adam said that is the “easiest way of
displaying the data.” He called it
“instant visual feedback as to what
your statistics look like.” In other of its
games, Atari simply uses numbers—
like 0-30 seconds—and flashes how
many players clocked in for the dura¬
tion of play.
Ideally, the graphed data should
resemble a bell-shaped curve, “with a
peak distribution,” Fujihara said,
“around two to three minutes.” Erick¬
son feels that this is one of the most
valuable tools a video operator can
use to determine how his machine
should be set. When he put Peter
Pack Rat on location, he said, “it was
considered a very marginal game.”
After a few adjustments based on
what the histogram showed him, “that
game beat my Hang-On” he said, “for
the first twelve weeks.” Hang-On, he
said, was first or second on the game
charts at the time.
All manufacturers send their games
out with recommended settings. At
the same time, however, all are aware
of the problem of demographics—
player preferences and player skills
vary from place to place and region to
region. Ed Rotberg of Bally Sente said
the company’s machines leave the fac¬
tory at “what we consider the moder¬
ate level,” which is “usually some¬
where just above the easier levels.”
McKay said Cinematronics sets the
games “for what we found to be the
best-earning numbers on test.” Fuji¬
hara used the term “medium” to
describe Atari’s factory specs. All;
however, try to give the operator
enough room above and below the
)ux oo|ns}
T rt ooinsi
ah't coins:
LPfwr Gomos:
^plyr Gomos:
^Plyr Gomos: 1X7Q
f lyr Gomos:
ns played: S4SG
mns pspr up:
8 UX.. cn'tr 1: 7
ux. cn'tr 2: 667
Aux. cn-kr 3: 247
Error count: 2
GoMie Time: 153 seconds.
Press 2 PLAVER START
to clear statistics
Press 1 PLAVER START
for Histoyroms
Among bookkeeping information screens included in Atari System I games and most other Atari games are a coin-accounting
screen (left) and a game-time histogram that shows the number of games played in various increments of time ranging from
less than a minute to nine minutes (540 seconds) or longer.
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setting so that he can adjust the
machine to suit his location.
Erickson, who said there's “no one
right answer on how to operate
games,” is nevertheless outspoken
about what works for him. “number
one—my cardinal rule—if it's my num¬
ber-one game, I don't touch it. I don't
care what it's doing.” Although he
suggests running new games a week
or two, and then analyzing the data, he
believes in running them much tighter,
“especially with a super game like
High Speed.'' Erickson's rationale is
that “if it's so good that they're going
to stand in line [to play it], there's no
sense in paying out 30 to 40 percent.
You might as well run it at a lower
percentage until that newness factor
wears out.”
It's at this juncture that Erickson
parts ways with some of the manufac¬
turers. Whereas many game-makers
will advise tightening up on games as
they get older, Erickson's street sense
and his philosophy of the business
sometimes take him in the other direc¬
tion. Quick to point out that the indus¬
try is an “entertainment industry,” he
stressed the importance of giving the
player “a fair return for his money.”
Every game has a life cycle. In some
instances, Erickson said, he can adjust
the game, get his income up, and give
a “bigger bang for a quarter” than can
many of his competitors.
Erickson has his own ideas about
what kinds of changes game-makers
could incorporate to help make the
industry healthier. Many have to do
with standardization of non-game fea¬
tures. But he reserves high praise for
Williams Electronics. Williams is
“making the games easier to operate,”
he said. “The term I like is one that'
Williams has copyrighted—‘user-
friendly pinball.' ” Headed by Steven
Kordek, whose 50 years in pinball
design lend credibility to his assess¬
ment “I know pin games,” the design
department at Wiliams has come up
with a game that adjusts itself. But
Erickson likes it for another reason,
too: he can still put his two cents in. “I
can set it automatically,” he said, “to
adjust itself every 1,000, 2,000, 3,000
plays. I can set what I want, and the
machine will do it itself.”
Until the rest of the industry
catches up with Williams, however,
operators must, as Erickson put it,
“utilize what we have.”
In the meantime, will using book¬
keeping data and game adjustments
extend the life of machines on location
now? Erickson’s reply was,“Drasti¬
cally. \ got a game caWed Bubbles..." •
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
26
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THE VAUEY COMPANY
Subsidiary of Kidde, Inc.
KIDDE
P.O. Box 656, Bay City. Ml 48707 • (517) 892-4536
Sales "Hot Line ” (800) 248-2837 • TELEX NO. 234218
Computerizing calls
for caution
(0
J=
■M
c
V
(A
o
K
If you ve ever wondered how to
keep up with an endless amount of
paperwork or if a computer could
make your job and your life easier,
here’s some advice on what to look for
and what you should know about
computerizing your business.
To begin with, there are three
basic computer-operating systems.
The standard created by IBM is PC-
DOS or MS-DOS. The standard
created by Digital Computers is
CP/M. The standard created by
AT&T is UNIX. These are the main
operating systems for personal
computers. Atari and Commodore
have their own operating systems, and
many feel the two have isolated
themselves as a result. Recently,
however, both have come out with
‘‘IBM-compatible” models. It should
be noted that compatible does not
necessarily mean 100-percent com¬
patible. If you buy an “IBM-com¬
patible” computer, you may not be
able to run all the software made for
IBM computers.
I know the question: What is soft¬
ware? Software is another name for a
computer program, which is simply a
set of instructions that tell the com¬
puter what questions to ask, which
mathematical calculations to perform.
Before you run out and buy a com¬
puter based upon an advertisement,
decide what tasks you expect the
computer to help you with. Your list of
tasks may include:
• word procesing
• payroll
• accounts payable
• accounts receivable
• bookkeeping/data base/
spreadsheets
• playing games
• general ledger
• inventory
This is the most important piece of
advice you can follow: Go to a com¬
puter dealer (like the nationwide chain
of Software City, some Sears stores.
Computer Age, or Computerland)
and get a hands-on demonstration of
software, not any specific computer.
If you can compare two similar
programs, check out the ease with
which the on-screen instructions
guide you through the program. This
program is said to be “menu-driven.” If
the on-screen instructions, called
screen prompts, are very good, and
self-explanatory, the program is said
to be “user-friendly” (you are the i
user).
Think of the process this way: You
would not think of buying a suit simply •
because it looks good without trying
the suit on to see if it fits.
After your hands-on demonstra¬
tion, if you feel relatively comfortable
with the program, establish which
computer can run (operate) the pro¬
gram.
Then examine the next category of
software following the same proce¬
dure, and again find out which com¬
puters will be able to run the software
you choose. Continue the procedure
for each kind of task you want your
computer to be able to handle.
When you’ve finished, compare
your list of software programs with the
computers that will run them. You
want to purchase the computer that
can run all the software on your list.
When you’ve decided which com¬
puter system and software to get, it’s
time for a crucial step—selecting a
dealer. Long after your purchase of
the system and software, you will need
the support that only a dedicated pro¬
fessional dealer will provide. You’ll
need a dealer who will answer your
how-to questions, give you advice on
solving your application problems,
and be your source for technical
knowledge, equipment repairs, and
supplies or new products. You won’t
fully appreciate a full-service dealer
until you find out the hard way that
you don’t have one.
Any idiot can sell you something.
Only a knowledgeable professional
will be able to answer your daily opera¬
tional questions.
Now that you have your dealer,
your computer, and your software,
you are ready to plug in your system.
Here you would be well advised to
26
PLAY METER, August 15, 1966
read the general operating manual for
your computer.
Find out what packing materials to
remove from your system, then turn it
on. If your computer has a hard disk,
some programs will already be in the
computer’s memory. If not, you will
have to insert a data disk containing
the operating system and the pro¬
gram.
Never use a master program disk
for anything except to make a working
copy of your program. If you have a
CP/M operating system, the command
to copy something usually is PIP
(although a program called copy also
is important, particularly to install the
operating system on your working
copy of a program). If your operating
system is MS-DOS, the command is
((
copy.
On screen the commands would
look like this:
CP/M
A>PIP B:=A:*.* <RETURN>
or A > COPY < RETURN >
MS-DOS
A >COPY A:=B:*.* <RETURN>
You’ll see on your keyboard a
button marked RETURN or ENTER.
Both keys do the same thing. When
you see < RETURN >, it means to
press the return button. Do not type
the word return.
Then, by reading the manual that
came with the software, find out how
to call the program up to the screen. A
program name cannot include more
than 10 characters—seven characters
followed by a period and three more
characters, which are called an exten¬
sion. Many programs have two-letter
names. For example, a word process¬
ing program called Word Star by
Micro Pro has the computer name
WS. You would call up this program
as follows: A >WS < RETURN > .
Your computer will do the rest by
reading or loading the program. On¬
screen instructions will tell you what
to do next. Most software comes with
a tutorial or a sample program with a
“text” file telling you in English what to
do. The best way to learn how to use a
program is to go in and play with the
sample data. That is what it is there
for. Go ahead and learn by doing,
making mistakes and discovering how
to fix your mistakes.
Business programs
Usually the previously discussed
rules apply, but you really must expe¬
riment with the program first. To do
so, follow all of the rules such as dupli¬
cating your master disks.
Only after you are confident that
you know how a program works are
you ready to use your company data.
If your data includes massive lists of
names and addresses (like your
account list), it may be worthwhile to
consider hiring an experienced typist
(such as an office temp) to do much of
the typing. Chances are they will do
the job much more quickly and
accurately than you.
When you’re confident that you
understand the working of a business
application program, and your com¬
pany data has been entered, you are
ready to apply the program to your
situation. Here it is very important
that you “run parallel,” which means
that in addition to entering the data
into the computer you also should
continue to handle the data manually
for at least 30 days. Be sure to com¬
pare your hand-generated documents
with the computer-generated docu¬
ments. If they don’t agree, find out
why. It may be the program, although
that’s doubtful. Establish what you
have done wrong, and make the
appropriate corrections. Then run
parallel for another 30 days just to be
on the safe side.
Good luck. •
Jeffrey Rosenthal is an operator and a
tax accountant. His firm, M&J Tax
Services, Ltd., markets a route-man¬
agement software package called
VENDBASE. For information about
the program, including a demonstra¬
tion disk, write M&J at 1967 Bath
Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11214, or call
(718) 232-0342.
>-
<
Q.
PLAY METER, August 15, 1966
29
PLAYERS'
I IK Steve Harris and
■ m I mfeV The U.S. Notional Video Gome Teom
Good themes moke good gomes
“What makes a good game good?”
That is the one question most fre¬
quently asked of members of the U.S.
National Video Game Team. Opera¬
tors, distributors, and manufacturers
alike all want the secret formula that
spells success.
By re-examining some of the
video-game hits and blunders released
in recent years you can trace the roots
of a coin-op game’s potential. By
analyzing the good qualities of those
games it becomes apparent that
games with simple and original play
themes usually fare well. When ana¬
lyzing recent high-production titles
such as Gauntlet, the game-theme
plays an even larger role by setting the
mood and creating an appealing envi¬
ronment.
Take the first laser-driven video
game. Dragon's Lair. Cinematronics
and Magicom took full advantage of
existing technology to produce slick
animation that the player could inter¬
act with. By itself. Dragon's Lair (and
the offspring it spawned) was limited in
its game play. But, because of its
popular theme (a princess-in-peril-
dragon-slaying-medieval adventure)
that had a built-in following of enthu¬
siasts, Dragon's Lair quickly shot to
the top of the charts. Had subsequent
laser games appeared before it.
Dragon's Lair and the whole laser-disc
genre likely would have pased away
quickly. Instead laser-disc technology
became a thorn in the side of the
industry, and what seemed to be
salvation turned out to be an unpro¬
fitable gamble.
Had Cinematronics offered Dra¬
gon's Lair 2 as the first laser-disc
follow-up, I believe we would be seeing
further releases using this fledgling
technology, with operators reporting
takes as high as Dragon's Lair initially
pulled in. Unfortunately, manufac¬
turers never fully realized that it was
not the technology, but the games
themselves that would interest players.
And because game interaction was
never a strong point, it’s easy to see
why the subject matter appealed to
players most.
Although they don’t boast $2,000
peripherals, conventional video games
are bound by the same manufacturing
ideologies that determined the success
and ultimate failure of the laser-disc
games. That’s why now there are
more than a dozen karate-type games
as well as a recent influx of multi-player
games inspired by the profitability of
Gauntlet.
That’s not to say that variations of
existing play themes are always detri¬
mental. Repackaging old games with
new graphics and mechanics often
proves successful. But the more
original the game idea is, the more
likely the game is to make money and
become a trendsetter.
A game’s theme dictates player
involvement. Video games with a goal
or storyline have become increasingly
popular, providing players with a wide
variety of challenges and a built-in
enticement to try again.
Games that promote interaction
with other players are a nice sight in
the arcades. Many new friends have
been made on Gauntlet expeditions
or while searching for magical mush¬
rooms in Super Mario Bros. These
and other titles encourage a dialogue
that benefits the gameroom and pro¬
vides a common topic of discussion.
There will always be a lack of
original game themes, but as new
advancements in game hardware
appear and computer limitations are
reduced, we will undoubtedly be
seeing more and more new and
diverse scenarios. Soon the only
limitation video games will have will be
the creativity of their designers.
Game profiles
A recent trend in video-game
manufacturing is machines that use a
multi-player format. Enabling players
to join in at any time, these games
have themes adapted to accommo¬
date two, three, and even four players
simultaneously in competition.
This month we’ll look at several
new products with multi-player
formats, including a sneak peak at
Bally Midway’s latest entry. Rampage,
which has received our “Player’s Seal
of Approval. We’ll also profile and
endorse three other games: Trade-
west’s premier effort, //can Warriors;
Bally Sente’s new trivia offering.
Name That Tune; and Tecmo’s
newest conversion, R\^gar.
The U.S. National Video Game
Team urges you to consider our game
endorsements when you buy new
equipment. Games that receive our
“Player’s Seal of Approval” have been
player-tested and meet the toughest
standards.
Bally Midway’s Rampage
Long before the success of Gaunt¬
let, Bally Midway already had enjoyed
success using a similar format that
allowed direct player involvement.
Games like Two Tigers and Demoli¬
tion Derby emphasized the impor¬
tance of team play while giving opera¬
tors the ability to reap twice the pro¬
fits.
Now Midway has used its “Join the
Action” play format to its limit in
Rampage, a game that is without a
doubt one of the most original and
potentially profitable titles of the year.
Before the game begins, the player
must choose one of three distinctively
different characters he will represent.
There’s George, a brilliant scientist
PLAY METEK August 15, 1986
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who transforms into a gorilla of incred¬
ible proportions; Lizzie, a swift athlete
who doubles as a Godzilla look-alike;
and Ralph, a wolf-man who stands 30
feet tall.
The theme of Rampage is destruc¬
tion. Able to grab, punch, and jump,
the three player-controlled monsters
make their way along the outer struc¬
tures of a variety of buildings in the
downtown areas of major U.S. cities.
The goal is to destroy the cities by
inflicting abundant damage upon each
building. When a structure sustains
too much damage, it crumbles to the
ground. This awards extra points and
advances play to larger cities with
better defenses.
Out to defeat the player are hun¬
dreds of national guardsmen who
appear out of windows and in tanks
and helicopters brandishing rifles. The
monsters can gobble them up or
smash them into oblivion.
In between rounds, press updates
are given to list the player’s status and
provide a humorous overtone to the
mayhem. Alerts are also given to
major cities, adding a personalized
touch that players can identify with.
When a player takes too many
hits, the creatures revert to their
original human shapes before saunter¬
ing off the screen stark naked.
Rampage's visuals are outstand¬
ing, rendered with a comedic style that
brings life and laughter to what could
have been a shallow effort. The graph¬
ics are so convincing you can see the
humiliation on the faces of the would-
be monsters as they slowly shuffle off,
being careful not to expose them¬
selves, at the end of every game. And
it’s equally entertaining to see a guards¬
man or civilian being savored in the
jaws of one of the creatures. It’s impor¬
tant that the violence is not overdone
as it was in Exidy’s Chiller; it’s fun to
watch and makes Rampage a great
game for spectators as well.
There is a wide range of sound
effects to accompany the monsters
and their surroundings. The creatures
roar, tanks explode, and buildings
collapse as sirens blare and helicopters
whirl about in the backgrund. This
game has atmosphere, and lots of it.
Rampage also features surprises
that make each game different and
keep players on the edge of their
seats. Behind certain windows food
items are hidden that increase the
player’s stamina, while neon signs,
lightbulbs, televisions, etc. give elec¬
tric shocks that decrease the player’s
strength when they’re touched.
The cabinet that houses Rampage
has been expertly designed to accom¬
modate three players comfortably
without taking up too much space. Its
dimensions are relatively small, but
they provide a lot of mobility and
elbow room.
There are three groups of controls.
One group directly faces the monitor,
and the others are set at a slight angle
to give everyone good view. A lone
eight-way joystick is accompanied by
two buttons. One is for jumping from
building to building, and the other is
for punching obstacles and grabbing
people, food, and other objects.
Rampage is definitely one of the
best games of 1986. Its attention to
style and its black humor (something
rarely attempted and never with such
witty style) are marvelous, and the
fast-paced action is original and excit¬
ing.
Although a game of Rampage will
seldom last longer than a couple of
minutes, players won’t feel cheated.
The game’s continuation feature is like
a built-in magnet, pulling quarters
from the pockets of players like no
game before it.
Unlike Gauntlet, in which players
only interact with the computer adver¬
saries, Rampage gives players the
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PLAY METER, August 15, 1966
choice of working together to destroy
the skyscrapers or duking it out to the
finish. Indeed, Rampage is one of
those few games that promotes player
camaraderie.
Because Rampage features dozens
of cities to be destroyed, there are a
number of promotions you can use to
draw additional attention to the game.
Contests that give away tokens to the
first player who completes the game (a
feat that would require a lot of quar¬
ters) would be an easy way to entice
repeat play. Other tournaments could
use a similar approach but feature
team play. Use your imagination.
But whatever you do, don’t miss
Rampage. Its appeal will be felt for
some time to come by players and
operators alike. Rampage is a highly
recommended monster of a game.
Trade west’s Ikari Warriors
Spawned by the success of films
such as “Rambo” and ‘‘Commando,”
Tradewest’s debut release, Ikari
Warriors delivers some of the best
military action ever seen in a coin-op
game. If Ikari Warriors, licensed from
SNK, is any indication of things to
come from this new company. Trade-
west should enjoy a long and pro¬
sperous life.
The game opens with a plane crash
into a dense jungle far behind enemy
lines. Leaving the wreckage, the
player’s bandana-clad characters pro¬
ceed, armed only with a machine gun
and a satchel of hand grenades, on a
search-and-destroy mission to locate
the Ikari village, where a special prize
awaits.
On their way to Ikari, players must
contend with opposing troops, includ¬
ing soldiers armed with rocket launch¬
ers and flame throwers. Later battles,
which increase in difficulty as play pro¬
gresses, invovle tanks, transports, and
helicopter gunships.
Players can increase their inven¬
tory of shells by eliminating ammuni¬
tion stockpiles and certain enemy
soldiers. Special symbols appear that
award extra bullets or grenades and
provide a number of special abilities
that help in eradicating opposing
forces and extending firing capability.
Occasionally a vacant tank will appear
that the player can use for additional
mobility and firepower.
The terrain changes frequently,
requiring different strategies on dif¬
ferent battlefields. Players must navi¬
gate over bridges, wade through
swamplands, and walk the barren
streets of cities carefully avoiding
enemy soldiers and hidden mines as
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
they advance.
The resolution of Ikari Warriors
graphics is exceptional. Although
there is little difference in the appear¬
ance of the soldiers and their weapons,
they are animated with style to give
each a unique personality. Even
though players don’t interact with
them, the background visuals create
the feeling of being in a hostile environ¬
ment, an emotion that is hard to
achieve.
Ikari Warriors also has some great
music that keeps pace with the action.
It’s a fast-paced tune with decidely
patriotic overtones. Most of the sound
effects are simple explosions and rat-
tat-tats, but they are used with great
effect.
The control panel, although it
looks a bit strange, is well suited for
the game. A single joystick is flanked
by a pair of buttons, one to fire bullets,
the other grenades. The joystick
pivots to enable the player to head in
one direction while firing in another.
Ikari Warriors is perfect for fans of
“Rambo” and other patriotic shoot-
em-ups. The intensity of the game
keeps the player constantly involved,
and the variety of weapons he has at
his disposal is sure to generate the
feelings of omnipotence the game is
intended to deliver. Ikari Warriors
defintely gives you the most bang for
your buck.
Trade west should be commended
for producing Ikari Warriors in con¬
version form, because it is worthy of a
dedicated game’s price tag.
Tecom’s Ry^gar
Teemo (formerly Tehkan) is pro¬
bably best known for its recent rendi¬
tion of Atari’s multi-player black-and-
white smash of the ’70s, Football The
follow-up Gridiron Fight, and a similar
head-to-head sports offering. World
Cup, have brought this company to
the attention of players everywhere
who enjoy a challenge.
Now Teemo is armed with another
offering, R]^gar, that relys on the
proven success of favorites such as
Ghosts ’N Goblins and Super Marios
Bros, while throwing in enough extras
to make it truly outstanding.
Although this game doesn’t exactly
fit into the multi-player theme of this
column, it does have enough bang to
make it worth mentioning.
Play starts after a brief outline of
the story explains, somewhat hap¬
hazardly, that a new dictator has
seized control of the peaceful worlds
that the legendary warrior Rygar has
been entrusted to protect.
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A dangerous forest is the setting of
the contest, which pits the player
against both prehistoric and futuristic
creatures. Providing additional play
value are golden tombs that contain
hidden objects that not only increase
the player’s score considerably, but
also enhance Rygar’s ability.
To help defeat the monsters, the
player is armed with an unusual buzz-
saw weapon that stretches out a short
distance, eliminating any nasties in the
way, before rebounding back. By
manipulating the joystick simultane¬
ously, the player can send the buzz-
saw in a circular motion, defending
Rygar from every direction.
By collecting special tokens that
appear occasionally, the player can
extend the striking distance of Rygar,
destroy land monsters by jumping on
them, extend the buzz-saw directly
upward, and make Rygar invincible for
a short time.
Each round ends when the player
reaches a meditation chamber to
receive bonus points for creatures
killed, established rank, and remaining
time.
Subsequent rounds feature new,
more challenging adversaries, and
require increasingly precise jumping
and firing. While some levels concen¬
trate the action on the fighting, others
emphasize jumping skills, keeping
players constantly involved while pro¬
viding a variety of scenarios. This is a
nice touch that prevents Rygar from
becoming repetitive.
The graphics of Rygar are more
than adequate for its theme. The
background and foreground visuals
are rendered in a pleasing, colorful
style. Animation is sparse, but
handled effectively and with great
attention to detail.
Rygar s audio presents the usual
spectrum of sound effects while
throwing in a couple of interesting
touches.
A standard eight-way joystick
moves Rygar and aims his lethal wea¬
pon. Two buttons help the player
jump and fire. The set-up is simple and
easy to get accustomed to.
On the surface, Rygar is a repack¬
aged version of no less than a dozen
previous games. But what separates it
from others in this genre are additional
features for frequent players. Secret
items and bonus-point awards provide
risk-taking incentives that should sus¬
tain interest and prolong the game’s
life. As a conversion, Rygar stands
above the crowd.
Bally Sente’s Name That Tune
Audio enhancements usually are
considered nothing more than addi¬
tions that can increase the appeal of a
good game. But musical and vocal
effects do play an important role in the
success or failure of a game. Playing a
video game with no sound is like
watching “Star Wars” without John
Williams’ riveting score—a bit of the
attraction is lost.
Rarely, however, has the audio of a
game been as vital as it is in Bally
Sente’s release for its economical
SAC 1 system, a coin-op rendition of
the television program, “Name That
Tune.”
Using all the elements that made
the television show so successful.
Sente’s Name That Tune plays
identically. Players face off against
each other or the computer in
matches that test musical knowledge.
Players receive clues to the songs and,
by using one of four buttons, must
make a correct choice before time
runs out. Next comes Bid-a-Note, in
which the opponents face off in an
attempt to identify a tune in fewer
notes. The player who has scored best
at that point goes on to “Melody
Roulette” in which six songs must be
named before 12 seconds elapse.
The musical reproduction in
Name That Tune is outstanding and
sure to attract crowds wherever it’s
placed. Sente has done a great job of
selecting a broad range of tunes that
will appeal to a variety of age groups.
Not only are there standards like
‘Chattanooga Choo-Choo” but con-
tempory pop hits like “Karma Chame¬
leon” and rock classics in the vein of “I
Heard it Through the Grapevine.”
High-resolution graphics are used,
during many stages of play to add
color and activity to the game.
By taking the basics of a trivia
game and incorporating incredibly
faithful reproductions of musical
favorities. Sente has produced one of
the most addictive question-and-
answer games to date. Name That
Tune would make an excellent addi¬
tion to nightclub locations and should
be a welcome sight to all operators of
SAC 1 systems. •
ADAPTING
TO CHANGE
is the secret of SURVIVAL!
PLA Y METER
— YOUR SURVIVAL MANUAL —
During a difficult transition for our
industry, Play Meter can help you
thru the jungle.
f/'J/l/Oi
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
504/488-7003
34
PLAY METER. August 15, 1986
AMERIGVN COIN MACHINE EXPOSITION
MAKCH 20, 21, 22
NEW ORLEANS THE RIVERGATE
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MEET MANUFACTURERS. DISTRIBUTORS,
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FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION CALL
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¥
Poll Inlormcrtion
The following are rankings oi the top games in the coin-operated amusement industry. The
gomes are ranked according to an index formulated from a re^ar survey of operators of coin-
operated amusement equipment. Games not appearing on this poll either (1) did not generate a five
percent response or (2) did not rank among the top 50 games in the country. The games are further
identified by their general equipment classification type: Video, Pinball, and Novelty. The average
index rating for all surveyed games for this individual survey was 79.
Top Ten Gomes of August 15 Issue
Index
Gcone/Manulactuier Rotin
1. Qucotet/Sega. 300
2. Ikcai Wordors/Ttadewest. 260
3. Speed BuggF/Dcrta East. 207
4. Rygar/Tecmo . 180
5. Gauntlet/JMcaA . 175
6. Paperboy/Atari. 145
Index
Rotin
Gkime/Mamiiactuier_Ratia
7. Hang-On (Mini)/Soga . 143
8. High Speed/Wimoms. 140
8. Medley’s Comet/Coin-It/Toito_ 140
10. World Sedes/Cinematronics_ 135
10. Cnisin'/Kitkoxp. 135
1. Quartet/Sega
300
—
—
—
2. Ikari Warriors/Tradewest
260
232
183
—
3. Speed Buggy/Data East
207
—
—
—
4. Rygar/Teemo
180
—
—
—
5. Gauntlet/Aiah
175
170
166
236
6. PaperJboy/Atari
145
118
92
113
7. Hang-On (Mmi)/Sega
143
149
—
—
8. High Speed/Williams
140
161
130
187
8. Halley's Comef/Coin-It/Taito
140
—
—
—
10. World Series, The Season/Cinematronics
135
166
179
154
10. Chjsin'/Kitkorp
135
86
—
—
12. Hang-On (upright)/Sega
129
133
194
186
13. Hollywood Heat/Premier
128
—
—
14. Sarge/Bally Midway
120
149
78
70
15. Super Punch Ouf.^/Nintendo
118
124
102
82
16. Temple of Doom/Mah
116
84
92
109
16. VS. BaseJbaii/Nintendo
116
56
67
73
18. Pac-Land/Bally Midway
115
120
—
81
19. Mania Chaiienge/Memetron/Taito
113
175
208
—
20. Cheyenne/Exidy
111
101
95
93
21. T.N.K ////Kitkoip
108
88
86
—
22. Break Thru/Data East
107
95
119
—
23. VS. Super Mario Bros./Nintendo
104
99
99
118
24. Mat Mania/Memetron
101
90
117
112
FlxtboU Novvlty
NOTICE: The sole purpose of this survey is to determine on a regular basis the top performing games in the country.
Any attempt to use the results of this survey for any other purpose is unauthorized, wrongful, and misleading.
ATIMAL PLAT METE
Gkzzne/Manulactuier
25. Sp 7 Hun fer/Bally Midway
25. Land-Sea-Air Sqruad/Taito
Aug. 15 July 15 June 15 May 15 Video PlnboU Novelty
27. GJadiator/Taito
99
147
—
— <
28. Lode Punner/Digital Controls
98
—
—
— <
28. Shootout/DaXa. East
28. Terra Cresta/Nichibutsu
31. Ghosts TV Gobiins/Romstar/Taito
32. Jailbreak/Konami
33. Pole Position ///Atari
34. Ring King/DaXa East
35. Littie Casino ////Digital Controls
35. Hat Trick/BaWy Sente
37. VS. Ladies GoiZ/Nintendo
37. Tiger //eii/Romstar/Taito
39. Comet/Williams __
40. Demolition Derby/Bally Midway
40. Ph raze Craze/Merit _
42. Co/nmando/Datg East _
43. Jacks to Open/Gottlieb _
44. Space ShuttlefWilliams _
44. J942/Romstar _
46. Karate Champ/DaXa East _
46. Xs and QVBally Midway _
46. Choplifter/Sega _
49. Kung Fu Master/DaXa East _
50. Pole Position/Atari
AVERAGE WEEKLY CROSS
_BillboaicI_
TOP TEN
Mot i##
TITLE
ARTIST
Label & Number/Distributing Label
1.
GLORY OF LOVE (THEME FROM “THE KARATE KID PART ll”)
PETER CETERA
WARNER BROS. 7-28662
2.
SLEDGEHAMMER
PETER GABRIEL
GEFFEN 7-28718/WARNER BROS.
3.
DANGER ZONE
KENNY LOGGINS
COLUMBIA 38-05893
4.
PAPA DON’T PREACH
MADONNA
SIRE 7-28660/WARNER BROS.
5.
INVISIBLE TOUCH
GENESIS
ATLANTIC 7-89407
6.
MAD ABOUT YOU
BELINDA CARLISLE
I.R.S. 52815/MCA
7.
LOVE TOUCH (THEME FOR “LEGAL EAGLES")
ROD STEWART
WARNER BROS. 7-28668
8.
NASTY
JANET JACKSON
A&M 2830
9.
WE DON’T HAVE TO TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF
JERMAINE STE\A/ART
ARISTA 1-9424
10.
OPPORTUNITIES (LET'S MAKE LOTS OF MONEY)
PET SHOP BOYS
EMI-AMERICA 8330
dult Contemporary
ARTIST
1 M Lt
Label & Number/Distributing Label
1.
GLORY OF LOVE (THEME FROM THE “KARATE KID PART 11")
PETER CETERA
WARNER BROS. 7-28662
2.
YOU SHOULD BE MINE (THE WOO WOO SONG)
JEFFREY OSBORNE
A&M 2814
3.
INVISIBLE TOUCH
GENESIS
ATLANTIC 7-89407
4.
YOUR WILDEST DREAMS
THE MOODY BLUES
POLYDOR 883096-7/POLYGRAM
5.
LOVE TOUCH (THEME FROM “LEGAL EAGLES”)
ROD STEWART
WARNER BROS. 7-28668
6.
WORDS GET IN THE WAY
MIAMI SOUND MACHINE
EPIC 34-06120
7.
THE CAPTAIN OF HER HEART
DOUBLE
A&M 2638
8.
DANCING ON THE CEILING
LIONEL RICHIE
MOTOWN 1843
9.
THERE’LL BE SAD SONGS (TO MAKE YOU CRY)
BILLY OCEAN
JIVE/ARISTA 1-9465/ARISTA
10.
IN THE SHAPE OF A HEART
JACKSON BROWNE
ASYLUM 7-69543/ELEKTRA
Copyright 1986 by Billboard Publications, Inc.
Compiled by the Billboard Research Department
and reprinted with permission.
Country
TITLE
ARTIST
Label & Number/Distributing Label
1. NOBODY IN HIS RIGHT MIND WOULD’VE LEFT HER
GEORGE STRAIT
MCA 52817
2. ROCKIN’ WITH THE RHYTHM OF THE RAIN
THE JUDDS
RCA/CURB 14362/RCA
3. YOU’RE THE LAST THING 1 NEEDED TONIGHT
JOHN SCHNEIDER
MCA 52827
4. SAVIN’ MY LOVE FOR YOU
PAKE MCENTIRE
RCA 14336
5. STRONG HEART
T.G. SHEPPARD
COLUMBIA 38-05905
6. WILL THE WOLF SURVIVE
WAYLON JENNINGS
MCA 52830
7. COUNT ON ME
THE STATLER BROTHERS
MERCURY 884 721-7/POLYGRAM
8. HEARTBEAT IN THE DARKNESS
DON WILLIAMS
CAPITOL 5588
9. ON THE OTHER HAND
RANDY TRAVIS
WARNER BROS. 7-28962
10. I’VE GOT A NEW HEARTACHE
RICKY SKAGGS
EPIC 34-05898
Ponce Pisco
TITLE
ARTIST
Label & Number/Distributing Label
1. RUMORS/VICIOUS RUMORS
TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB
JAY 001/MACOLA
2. VENUS
BANANARAMA
LONDON 886 056-1/POLYGRAM
3. AIN’T NOTHIN’ GOIN’ ON BUT THE RENT
GWEN GUTHRIE
POLYDOR 885 106-1/POLYGRAM
4. OPPORTUNITIES (LET’S MAKE LOTS OF MONEY) (REMIX)
PET SHOP BOYS
EMI-AMERICA V-19206
5. OH L’AMOUR (REMIX)/WALK ON DOWN THE LINE
ERASURE
SIRE 0-20488/WARNER BROS.
6. ARTIFICIAL HEART (REMIX)/OH NO IT’S U AGAIN
CHERRELLE
TABU 4Z9-05386/EPIC
7. NO PROMISES (REMIX)
ICEHOUSE
CHRYSALIS 4V9-43009
8. SLEDGEHAMMER (REMIX)
PETER GABRIEL
GEFFEN 0-20456/WARNER BROS.
9. POINT OF NO RETURN (REMIX)
NU SHOOZ
ATLANTIC 0-86802
10. ON YOUR OWN (REMIX)
PETE SHELLEY
MERCURY 884 751-1/POLYGRAM
PLAY METEK August 15, 1966
TAX TIPS
by
Jeffrey
Rosenthal
Tcdc aspects of bankruptcy
This explanation, which applies to
bankruptcy cases begun after April 1,
1984, covers federal income-tax rules
relating to bankruptcy and discharg¬
ing debt. The rules were affected sub¬
stantially by the Bankruptcy Act of
1984, which reflected a major revision
of the U.S. bankruptcy laws.
Because the tax structures of most
states are based on the federal income-
tax system, most likely the implica¬
tions relevant to your state income tax
will be the same.
Cancellation of indebtedness
If any of your debts is forgiven or
cancelled, other than as a gift to you,
you generally must include the can¬
celled amount in your gross income
for income-tax purposes.
If you owe a debt to a seller for the
purchase of property, and the seller
later reduces the amount you owe,
you generally do not have income
from the reduction, even if you are not
bankrupt or insolvent. The reduction
of the debt is treated as an adjustment
of the purchase price and therefore
reduces your basis (cost for tax pur¬
poses) in the property.
Exclusion from gross income
While the general rules require you
to include a cancelled debt in gross
income, you are not required to do so
if any of the following three situations
apply:
1. The cancellation takes place in
a bankruptcy case under any of the
Title 11 chapters of the United States
Code.
2. The cancellation takes place
when the debtor is insolvent, and the
excluded amount is not more than the
amount by which the debtor is insol¬
vent.
3. The cancelled indebtedness is
“qualified business indebtedness”—a
debt of a corporation or any debt that
relates to business property—and the
debtor chooses to reduce the basis of
the property by the cancelled amount.
A debtor is insolvent when, and to
the extent that, his liabilities exceed
40
the fair market value of his assets. For
any discharge of indebtedness, liabil¬
ities and the fair market value of assets
are determined immediately before
the discharge.
A debt cancelled when the debtor
is insolvent is excluded from gross
income up to the amount by which the
debtor is insolvent. Nevertheless, the
amount excluded must be used to
reduce certain tax attributes (benefits),
which are discussed later in this article.
Order of exclusions
If a cancelled debt is excluded from
income because it takes place in a
Title 11 bankruptcy case, then the
insolvency and business-debt exclu¬
sions (2 and 3 above) do not apply.
The business-indebtedness exclusion
also does not apply to the extent the
debtor is insolvent.
Bankruptcy case exclusion
A bankruptcy case is considered
under Title 11 of the United States
Code if it is under the jurisdiction of
the court and the discharge of the debt
is granted by the court or pursuant to
a court-approved plan.
None of the indebtedness can¬
celled in a bankruptcy case is included
in the debtor’s gross income in the
year of the cancellation. Instead, the
amount cancelled must be used to
reduce certain tax attributes.
Qualified business-
indebtedness exclusion
The debtor may exclude the dis¬
charge of qualified business debt from
gross income if he chooses to reduce
the basis (cost for tax purposes) of
property which by law must be depre¬
ciated. Qualified business debt is debt
that was incurred or assumed in con¬
nection with property used in a trade
or business.
The amount excluded cannot be
more than the total adjusted basis of
all depreciable property held by the
taxpayer at the beginning of the tax
year following the tax year in which
the discharge takes place. This total
adjusted basis is determined after any
required reduction of tax attributes
for a discharge in bankruptcy or insol¬
vency.
Inclusion in gross income
If an amount of cancelled debt
cannot be excluded from income
under the three provisions discussed
previously, it must be included in
gross income. Income is not realized
from debt cancellation, however, to
the extent that payment of the debt
would have given rise to a deduction.
Here are two examples:
1. You use the cash method of
accounting in your business, and you
obtain business-accounting services
on credit. Later you have trouble
paying your business debts. Although
you are not bankrupt or insolvent,
your accountant forgives part of the
amount you owe him for his services.
You do not include the amount of the
debt cancellation in income, because
payment would have been deductible
as a business expense. It is considered
a reduction in the cost of services per¬
formed.
2. You use the accrual method of
accounting, but otherwise the circum¬
stances are the same as in example 1.
You must include the accountant’s
cancellation of your debt in your
income because, under the accrual
method, the expense is deductible
when the liability is incurred, not when
the debt is paid.
Abandonment
In the year business property is
permanently abandoned because of
an unforeseen change in business
conditions, normal depreciation
should be claimed. The abandonment
is treated as a sale or exchange in
which the selling price is salvage value.
The loss must be claimed in the year of
abandonment even if you sell or other¬
wise dispose of the property in a later
year. Mere non-use of the property is
not abandonment; you must perma¬
nently discard the property because it
is of no further profitable use to you.
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
The loss is expected to be explained
fully on your tax return.
Reduction of tax attributes
(benefits)
Indebtedness excluded from income
because it is cancelled in a bankruptcy
case or during insolvency must be
used to reduce certain “tax attributes”
of the debtor’s. By reducing these tax
attributes, tax on the cancelled debt is
in part postponed instead of being
entirely forgiven, and an excessive tax
benefit from the cancelled debt is pre¬
vented.
You either may reduce the basis of
depreciable property or you must
reduce the tax attributes in the follow¬
ing order:
1. Reduce any net operating loss
for the tax year in which the debt can¬
cellation takes place and any net oper¬
ating loss (NOL) carried over to that
tax year.
2. Reduce any carryover, to or
from the tax year of the debt cancelled,
of amounts used to determine the fol¬
lowing credits:
• The investment credit (except
amounts attributable to the
employee-plan credit)
• The work-incentive-program
(WIN) credit
• The jobs credit
• The alcohol-fuel credit
3. Reduce any net capital loss for
the tax year of the debt cancellation,
and any capital loss to that year.
4. Reduce the basis of the debtor’s
property, both depreciable and non¬
depreciable. You may, however, use
this option first before reduction of
any attributes.
5. Reduce any carryover, to or
from the tax year of the debt cancella¬
tion, of an amount used to determine
the foreign-tax credit.
Individuals’ tax attributes
If the debtor is an individual filing
for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 (liqui¬
dation) or Chapter 11 (reorganization)
of Title 11 of the United States Code,
the required reduction of tax attri¬
butes must be made to the attributes
acquired by the bankruptcy estate, a
separate taxable entity resulting from
the filing of the case. Also, the choice
of whether to first reduce the basis of
depreciable property before reducing
other tax attributes must be made by
the trustee of the bankruptcy estate.
Individuals’ bankruptcy estates
If an individual debtor files for
bankruptcy under chapters 7 or 11 of
the Bankruptcy Code, a separate
“estate” is created consisting of pro¬
perty that had belonged to the debtor
before the filing date. This bankruptcy
estate is a new taxable entity, com¬
pletely separate from the individual
debtor. The estate is managed by a
trustee for the benefit of any creditors,
and it may produce its own income as
well as incur its own expenses.
The creation of a separate bank¬
ruptcy estate gives the individual
debtor a fresh start—wages earned
and property bought by the individual
after the bankruptcy case has begun
belong to him and do not become part
of the bankruptcy estate.
A separate entity is not created for
a corporation, a partnership, or an
individual who files for bankruptcy
under Chapter 13 Title 11, United
States Code (Wage Earner Bank¬
ruptcy).
If a bankruptcy case involving an
individual debtor was begun but later
dismissed by the bankruptcy court,
the estate is not treated as a separate
entity. The indvidual debtor is treated
as if the bankruptcy petition had never
been filed.
Choice to end tax year
An individual debtor who has
assets other than those that may be
treated as exempt property may
choose to end his tax year on the day
before the filing of his bankruptcy
case. Once made, this choice is irrevo¬
cable. If the choice is made, the
debtor’s tax year is divided into two
short tax years of less than 12 months
each. The first year ends on the day
before the filing da+e of the bank¬
ruptcy, and the second year begins
with the filing date.
Once the choice is made, the
individual debtor’s income-tax liability
for the first short tax year becomes an
allowable claim (as a claim arising
before the bankruptcy) against the
bankruptcy estate. Any tax liability for
that year is collectible from the estate
as long as enough assets are available
to pay off the estate’s debt.
If the assets of the bankruptcy
estate are not enough to pay any tax
due for that year, the remaining liability
is not dischargeable in the bankruptcy
case, and will be due and collectible
from the individual debtor after the
bankruptcy case. If no choice to end
the tax year is made, then no part of
the debtor’s tax liability for the year in
which bankruptcy proceedings begin
can be collected from the estate.
If the debtor making the choice is
married, his spouse also may choose
to end the tax year, but only if the
debtor and the spouse file a joint
return for the first short tax year.
An individual debtor who chooses
to end his tax year does so by filing a
return on Form 1040 for the first short
tax year on or before the 15th day of
the fourth full month after the end of
that first tax year. The return should
be marked “Section 1398 Election” at
the top and must include a statement
that says the individual debtor
chooses under Section 1398(d)(2) to
close his tax year on the day before
the filing of the bankruptcy case. If you
are married, and yoi^ spouse also
opts for a short tax year, your spouse
also must sign the statement.
A debtor choosing to end the tax
year also must file a separate form
1040 for the second short tax year by
the regular due date. The debtor
should note on the return that it is the
second short-tax-year return after
Section 1398 Election.
Annualizing taxable income
The individual debtor who chooses
to close his tax year must annualize
his taxable income for each short tax
year in the same way that is done for a
change in an annual accounting
period. For information on this, see
“Short Tax Year” in the free IRS publi¬
cation 538. •
Jeff rex; Rosenthal is an operator and a
tax accountant. He can be reached
by writing M&J Tax Service, Ltd.,
1967 Bath Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11214,
or calling (718) 232-0342.
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
41
FRANK'S
CRANKS
Dolly olmlng high
Steue Blattspieler, vice president of sales for Ba//y Midway and Sente, smiles as test-
report figures on Rampage are phoned in. Steue is confident Bally has a winner.
I recently went to Chicago at the
invitation of Bally Sente’s president,
Bob Lundquist. I had been working
with Bally’s Tom Locke for the previ¬
ous six months testing various Sente
system games in family-restaurant
chains. What is happening now is that
manufacturers are bringing in opera¬
tors to help them with their new-game
decisions. There is a tremendous
amount of direct communication
between manufacturers and opera¬
tors, and that is just what this industry
needs.
Although Lundquist couldn’t be in
Chicago that day, I was welcomed by
Maury Ferchen, president of Bally’s
coin-op division and the AAMA; Steve
Blattspieler, vice president of sales;
Tom Locke, vice president of sales
development; Jan Wahby, director of
sales; and Dick Konopa, sales man¬
ager. The main purpose of the visit
was to review Sente’s latest system
game, Night Stocker, which is about
40 percent complete. I can’t discuss
that game further now, but I also saw
what I feel may be the hottest video
since Gauntlet —Midway’s Rampage.
Rampage is a three-player game in
which the player can be any of three
monsters: King Kong, Ralph the Wolf,
or Lizzie the Lizzard. Jeff Nauman did
most of the programming and Brian
Colin was responsible for the art
work. Nauman, only 27 years old, pro¬
grammed Demolition Derby, Sarge
(which is a good game many operators
never tried), and Shoot the Bull. He
has included 768 different “days” into
Rampage, with 128 days per cycle.
There is little chance that players will
get bored easily with this game.
Players can destroy 85 different cities
as the adventure starts in Chicago and
loops across the U.S. Rampage has
been earning $100 a day for several
weeks at seven Aladdin’s Castle
arcades. No one expects to see initial
grosses as large as Gauntlet's, but
Rampage looks like it will be a steady
piece (as steady as video can get these
days).
Black Belt pinball: Bally Midway
has come up with what I’d rate as an
excellent pinball game. Pins are very
strong now, and smart operators are
making large investments in this kind
of equipment again. With the over¬
whelming success of Williams’ High
Speed (which I’d have to rate in its
own novelty category because to rate
it a 12 on a 1-to-lO scale doesn’t seem
just), manufacturers can better gauge
what new pinball demand is.
Several features make Black Belt
unique. Attract-mode instructions are
clearly spelled out on the bottom
score displays and with corresponding
lights flashing on the playfield, so
players can fully understand the
strategy of the game. A soft shot off
the ball shooter plunger for higher
scoring brings back the “sensitive”
part of pinball. Realistic-sounding
groans enhance the karate theme. A
multitude of still shots are incorpo¬
rated to entice both seasoned and less
skillful players. I really enjoyed keep¬
ing the ball going on the bottom half of
the playfield, but Tom Locke likes to
flip the ball back and forth on the
upper ramp section. Now guess which
of us is the avid player and which is
less skillful.
I think Bally is making an excellent
effort to produce top-earning games.
Their goal, as Locke put it, is to have
three hits at the same time; one for
Sente, one for Midway, and one Bally
pinball. That’s not a bad goal to shoot
for.
Incidentally, I just got off the phone
with Bob Lloyd, president of Data
East. He said he heard that Midway
has a great game coming and he feels
that a strong Bally is good for the
industry. If Data East doesn’t have the
42
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
*Jom The ActionT” continuous
10601 W. BELMONT AVE.
FRANKLIN PARK, ILLINOIS 60131
(312)451-9200
'' K^r^sSRlH
ylJn^K^H
^ nrj. ■ ^
J
_- " ■ ,.
0 _ ^
top game at a particular time, then
Lloyd would like to see Bally have it.
Seems to me that Data East has had
quite a monopoly of top games
recently.
Brian Colin, left, and Jeff Nauman play a 65-percent-complete version of Bally Midway's
new video. Rampage. Colin, who did the artwork, and programmer Nauman were two
of four designers responsible for the gome.
Vidco-jukcbox update
In the April 1 issue I wrote that
operators should use the Rowe video
jukebox to open doors for new loca¬
tions with favorable commission
arrangements, like $150 a week for the
operator. Many operators are still
sitting back and letting a small group
of aggressive operators get the jump
on them. For what it’s worth, here are
parts of a letter from Pizza Manage¬
ment, Inc.,’s president and chairman,
Arturo Torres, to Rowe’s vice presi¬
dent, Joel Friedman, about a test with
Pizza Hut restaurants:
“Now that we have had more
than six month’s history and
experience with more than 20
Rowe video jukeboxes in Pizza
Hut locations, I am most happy
to give you the following informa¬
tion: ... we have experienced
increased traffic in every location
and increased food and beverage
sales by more than 12 percent....
the goodwill which we are gener¬
ating is trememdous. We have
followed your ideas of extra
monitors and speakers and the
use of the self-programmable
message centers. Each of our
stores has been averaging more
than $200 per week.”
As one operator to all of you opera¬
tors, what more can I say to get you
guys thinking?
For more information, I can be
reached at Alpha-Omega Amusements
and Sales, 6 Sutton Place, Edison, NJ
08817, 201/287-4900.
As always, keep cranking. •
StarffgMer
S0AR[R
SUCCi
Turbochopper
FLIGHT
SIMULATVHS
FHOM
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Skyhawk Raider
High-tech realism, fantasy and expert
Bs^ design—combining a centra! joystick
and sight and sound simulation—give the
rider control of the simulation, thereby cre¬
ating an exciting concept in coin-operated
children’s entertainment.
Australian award-winning design of the
Starfighter, Turbochopper and Skyhawk
Raider flight simulators promises:
" High returns on your investment
• Low, on-site maintenance
" Durable solid-state electronics, fiberglass design
" Unbeatable cashbox security
• Maximized safety
Discover Ride Dynamics’approach to high-profit
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Your opportunity to soar to success is now
For further information,
we invite you to contact:
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315 E. Eisenhower
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RIDE DYNAMICS 313/769-9396
44
PLAY METER, August 15. 1966
MANAGEMENT
Refusing a
raise request
“rd like to talk about a raise, boss.”
What employer doesn’t swallow a
little harder when he hears that
request from an employee these days?
While everyone needs more and more
money simply to stay even at clothing
stores and checkout lanes, few
employers also hit by a financial
squeeze are able to grant pay increases
easily. How can you refuse a raise
without losing an employee or killing
his work incentive?
First, don’t allow yourself to be
pushed into answering the raise ques¬
tion immediately. Set a conference
date as soon as possible so you don’t
keep the employee dangling, but give
yourself time to prepare.
Why is the answer “no” this time?
A company freeze on wages may
be in effect, and explaining the refusal
won’t take much time. But don’t send
a good employee away from the inter¬
view feeling totally downcast. When
can he expect a raise? What indicators
do you have that the company’s
financial picture might be brightening
in coming months? If you have positive
information, share it. Give the em¬
ployee something to look forward to.
Maybe raises are being granted
from the company coffers, but not to
this particular worker. The explana¬
tion is going to take a little more time
and much more care. Helping some¬
one understand why he doesn’t qualify
for a raise sometimes requires diplo¬
matic skill.
If he hasn’t been on the job long
enough or received all the necessary
by Susan C. Bakos
Most emplo\;ees
have been faced
at least once with
the hot-shot request:
'Tve got another offer.
If you can’t match it,
I’ll have to leave.”
training, be specific about the require¬
ments not met. Tell him how much
longer he will need to work before he
can expect a raise or what skills he
needs to master. Avoid vague lan¬
guage. “When you’ve had a little more
experience” is a depressing response
from the employee’s viewpoint.
Some employers have pay ceilings
established for workers with a certain
number of years on the job or who
have attained minimal education
levels. For example, John was making
the ceiling wage for his position; the
company was willing to pay him more
money only if he took some additional
supervisory courses on his own and
broadened his skills. Fred, his boss,
explains, “This is a small company. A
worker who earns a good salary here
is expected to cover a job and a half for
his money.”
John would have been willing to do
this had anyone explained the situa¬
tion to him. But Fred put off his
requests for salary increses with
vague refusals. John didn’t know if the
company couldn’t afford the raise or
didn’t feel he should have one. He
finally looked elsewhere for a job that
paid the money he felt he deserved.
Don’t lose a good worker because
you haven’t explained the reasons for
the raise refusal. Whenever possible,
outline a goal plan for the individual.
Tell him what he needs to accomplish
and in what time. Remember: when he
does those things, he will expect a
raise. Don’t make promises you can’t
keep.
Sometimes the money is there for
a raise, and the employee has fulfilled
time on the job and other require¬
ments, but his work simply doesn’t
merit additional pay. While this may
sound difficult to explain, it really isn’t.
The raise request is refused, but for
clear reasons which you can enumer¬
ate. Bring the employee’s work file to
the conference. Periodic reviews of his
performance should already have dis¬
closed work problems.
Now is the time to discuss those
problems again, even if they were
treated during appraisal sessions. This
time you have a good chance of
getting the worker to make the
desired changes. He wants some¬
thing—a raise—and he can’t earn it
without making changes in his job
performance.
Again, be specific about what
improvements are necessary and
when you’ll be willing to discuss the
PLAY METER, August 1^, ivoo
45
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800-227-5813
INCA 800-227-5814
possibility of a raise again. No em¬
ployee should leave this refusal con¬
ference without having a good idea of
how to merit the raise in the future and
when it’s likely to happen. If he leaves
in a state of confusion, he’ll feel dis¬
couraged. He’ll think, ‘There’s no
point in trying, because I’m not going
to get a raise no matter what I do.”
Help him take the performance
obstacles to his raise and turn them
into goals. Once the goals are accom¬
plished, the obstacles are eliminated.
He has what he wants, more money,
while you have what you want, a more
productive worker.
Some people may use special
ploys to get the raise. They may cite
personal hardship, which is difficult for
any employer to refuse. But you can’t
be swayed. A business isn’t a charity,
and you’ll have to make that clear.
Most employers have been faced
at least once with the hot-shot request:
“I’ve got another offer. If you can’t
match it. I’ll have to leave.” The per¬
son making this veiled threat may be a
valuable worker, and he may really
have that other offer.
Don’t be pushed into a corner.
Reacting in anger may only force a
decision you don’t want him to make.
If you can’t match the “offer,” explain
that, but leave the door open for the
worker to change his mind about the
ultimatum. Remind him of the benefits
of his present job: room for future
advancement, a good relationship
with co-workers, high levels of trust
and responsibility, or the opportunity
to work in varied areas.
Salary is not the sole basis of job
satisfaction, and occasionally em¬
ployees need to be reminded of that.
Tell him how much you value his con¬
tributions to the company and praise
his strengths. Then end the interview
by saying, “Please think about this for
a few days before you make a deci¬
sion.”
You’ve given him the opportunity
to back down gracefully. He feels
valued. This appreciation may make
up for the money you can’t pay him
yet.
Never allow a disgruntled employee
to draw you into a too-frank discus¬
sion about the company’s finances.
Don’t disclose the salaries earned by
other employees. Above all, keep your
cool and stick to the facts. Whenever
you can, leave the door open for
future salary negotiations. We all work
better with a little hope. •
What you don’t know or see can
sometimes hurt you. Put you out of
business. Or even into jail. Because
those famous last words, “I didn’t
know” do not hold water in court.
That’s why it’s beneficial to rely on
experts you can count on.
Industry leaders and law firms
throughout the country recognize
us as the nation’s leading consul¬
tants in amusement, redemption
and merchandising games. If
you’re looking for the best thing
you can do for your business,
you’ve just uncovered it. Call
or write for our free brochure.
BOB SNYDER & ASSOCIATES, INC.
20505 Valley Boulevard/Suite 107
^Inut, CA 91789 (714) 595-1237
46 ^
PLAY METEK August 15, 1986
Road Kings
Williams Electronics has intro¬
duced Road Kings, a motorcycle-
themed pinball with multi-ball play, a
new “time lock” feature, and a new
sound system.
Players can begin multi-ball play
and double scoring by locking up two
balls. By locking up two balls again
during multi-ball play, they start the
time lock, which raises a power ramp
for “mega” scoring and an extra ball. A
detour ramp and a “power kick” also
contribute to game play.
The new sound system in Road
Kings features real-band audio repro¬
duction, different themes orches¬
trated for different features, motor¬
cycle revs, and taunting speech.
The backglass and pivoting play-
field are easily accessible for service.
The machine’s automatic switch
testing identifies a malfunctioning
switch, reprograms play around it,
and spells out on the alphanumeric
display the switch needing repair. The
display also provides instructions to
players and adjustable-feature infor¬
mation to operators. Automatic
replay percentaging is offered.
For more information, write Wil¬
liams Electronics, Inc., 3401 N. Cali¬
fornia Ave., Chicago, IL 60618, or call
(312) 267-2240.
Trlmiine
Public Pay Phone, Inc., has added
the Trimline to its pay-telephone line.
The Trimline is California-legal and
passes every other state’s legal
requirements, according to the com¬
pany. It is modular in design for ease of
operation and service.
Public Pay Phone manufactures
the Trimline to the buyer’s specifica¬
tions for maximum option arrange¬
ment. It can be color-coordinated to
match any decor.
For more details, write Public Pay
Phone, Inc., 3800 Highland, Suite 300,
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, or call
(213) 546-7668; in California call 1-800/
342-5330.
Knochdown
Meltec, Inc., the manufacturer of
Boom Ball, has introduced Knock¬
down, a novelty game in which players
shoot balls at nine cat-rack dolls trying
to knock down as many as possible.
A two-station arcade package, the
game comes with automatic ticket dis¬
pensers and a 115-volt plug-in portable
air compressor.
Operators can adjust the number
of shots, coinage, and ticket levels.
The dolls reset automatically at the
end of each game.
For more information, write
Meltec, Inc., 1550 B Las Plumas Ave.,
San Jose, CA 95133, or call (408) 923-
1302.
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
47
sex Phraze craze
Astronauts
Bafco, Ltd., has introduced Astro-
nautSy a kiddie ride incorporating two
individually coin-operated spacemen.
Astronauts is electro-mechanical
with a vertical lift of 22 inches. It stands
92 inches high and 48 inches wide.
For more information on Astro¬
nauts and other new electro-mechani¬
cal rides, write Bafco, Ltd., Beechings
Way, Alford, Lincolnshire LN 139JE
England, or call 011-44-5212-6536.
Merit Industries has released a
sex-phrase module for its Phraze
Craze video game.
Sex Phraze Craze features new
topics such as sex humor, sex phrases,
street slang, love and marriage, sex
technique, sex products, kinky sex,
and XXX-rated phrases that are
operator-selectable by dipswitch.
The chips are compatible with
both horizontal and vertical versions
of Phraze Craze^ and Merit includes a
program revision that displays new
attract-mode screens to draw players,
give them a choice for each game of
either regular or sex phrases, and dis¬
play a separate “sex crazies” high-
score list.
For more information, write Merit
Industries, P.O. Box 5004, 2525 State
Road, Bensalem, PA 19020, or call
(215) 639-4700 or 1-800/523-2760.
Table TalH Plus
Tiffany Telcom has introduced
Table Talk Plus, a cordless, coinless
pay phone.
Table Talk Plus can be remotely
vended. It features 96-percent-
accurate answer supervision, a keyed
lock system for programming and
totals, and a complete rates table
based on the phone company’s
central office where the unit is located.
Table Talk Plus users can pay with
a credit card, a check, or cash, and
receive a printed receipt.
For more information, write
Tiffany Telcom, 216 S. Main, Box 650,
Bowman, ND 58623, or call (701) 523-
5633.
Enduro Racer
Sega Enterprises has introduced
Enduro Racery a video driving game
available in standard upright and
wheelie versions.
Enduro Racer allows the player to
perform wheelies to jump over
barriers, pass through mud puddles,
and avoid obstacles on the driving
course.
Features include countersteering
for returning balance to the cycle after
cornering at high speed and counter¬
jumping for changing cycle direction in
the air when cutting a corner or trying
to keep from going off the track when
landing.
An up-and-down-scrolling feature
exclusive to Enduro Racer enables the
player to understand the motion and
excitement of jumping and riding over
hills.
The wheelie version gives a range
of upward, downward, and sideways
movement yet uses no motors or
other drive devices.
For more information, write Sega
Enterprises, Inc., 2149 Paragon Drive,
San Jose, CA 95131, or call (408) 435-
0201 .
46
PLAY METEK August 15, 1966
Easy score
Wyvern Designs of England has
introduced Easy Score, an electronic
scoreboard for darts.
Easy Score incorporates a repro¬
duction dartboard. To register a
score, players touch the area that
corresponds to the spot where the
dart has landed on the game board.
Easy Score has large digital dis¬
plays for each team that show the
running score, the current score, the
number of darts entered, and the last
score. The running-score display
shows the decreasing score as the
game progresses. When three darts
are correctly entered, the score is
recorded by touching the “enter”
button.
The last-score display shows the
previous score entered. All scores for
a game may be recalled and displayed
by touching the “recall” button.
Easy Score comes with nine feet of
three-core cable or a coaxial cable for
connection to a coin-operated timer.
The display is 15.6 inches high, 12.4
inches wide, and 2.2 inches deep and
housed in a shatterproof plastic case.
For more information, write
Wyvern Designs, Fairfield House,
Church Road, Pimperne, Blandford,
Dorset DTll 8UB England. Tele¬
phone Blandford (258) 52055.
Kramer Krane
Kramer Manufacturing has devel¬
oped the Kramer Krane, a skill game
incorporating an operator-adjustable
claw and front-panel buttons.
Features include a flashing mar¬
quee header, a double coin-mech
system, 3.5-inch locking caster
wheels, and separate locking-cashbox
and prize-storage compartments. Its
dimensions are 79 inches by 33 inches
by 28 inches.
The Kramer Krane has plexiglass
panels and a hinged front door (with a
lock) for loading prizes. Options
include a ticket dispenser, a bill accep¬
tor, and a multi-coin accumulator.
For more details, write Kramer
Manufacturing Co., Inc., llOOTowbin
Ave., Lakewood, NJ 08701, or call in
New Jersey (201) 367-7810; outside
New Jersey call 800/631-2126.
saunaTone
Tan-Me, Inc., has introduced
SaunaTone, a personal sauna that
combines the benefits of dry heat and
vibration in a compact, portable unit.
SaunaTone comes with an AM/FM
stereo cassette, built-in speakers, and
head phones. An optional token timer
is available.
The temperature, stereo volume,
and vibration are controlled by the
client from inside the reinforced-
fiberglass shell. The maximum tem¬
perature and total time can be preset
by the owner.The unit comes with a
one-year warranty.
For more information, write Tan-
Me, Inc., 1703 Cope Ave., St. Paul,
MN 55109, or call (612) 770-0234.
PLAY METER, August 15, 1986
49
Talhing
Courtesy Phone
T.A. Phones, Inc., formerly Tonk-
A-Phones, has added the Talking
Courtesy; Phone to its line.
Designed for businesses wishing to
offer a courtesy phone for customers,
the Talking Courtesy Phone gives a
20-second electronic sales message
each time the phone is used. The
message can be programmed and
changed by the operator. The phone
is for local calls only and blocks out
any long-distance calls.
For more information, write T.A.
Phones, Inc., 4310 Shoreline Drive,
Spring Park, MN 55384, or call (612)
471-0126.
50
wuriftzer SL eoo
Deutsche Wurlitzer GmbH has
introduced the Wurlitzer SL 600 juke¬
box with 160 selections and 200 watts
of power.
The SL 600 is microprocessor-
controlled and has a stereo transis¬
torized amplifier with automatic level
control and electronic overload pro¬
tection. It includes a Shure magnetic
pick-up, four loudspeakers in a two-
way stereo system, and an electronic
credit accumulator. The three-digit
LED display indicates the credit selec¬
tion and record playing.
Other features include an auto¬
matic top-tunes selection of location
hits, an electronic popularity meter
and coin counter, and a plug connector
for an auxiliary amplifier, external
speakers, and a microphone.
All SL 600 models (and SL 800
models) are electronically and mechan¬
ically prepared for Mars bill validators
accepting $1, $2, and $5 bills.
For more information, write
Deutsche Wurlitzer, 503 W. Central
Blvd., Orlando, FL 32801, or call (305)
843-4302 or (305) 423-5591.
Baby Boom
Chaiiengo
Status Game Corporation has
expanded its Status System library
with Baby; Boom Challenge.
Players enter Baby Boom Univer¬
sity (BBU) as freshmen and must
work through the challenge maze by
successfully answering questions,
correcting spelling, and defining
words. Included in the maze are thou¬
sands of humorous surprise squares
that may add or take away points or
move the player forward or backward
in the maze.
Players making it through the
maze advance to the sophomore level.
To graduate from each level, players
must maintain a grade average of 80 or
better. If time runs out, players can
add additional coins to continue
where they left off.
Baby; Boom Challenge is available
as a countertop, upright, cocktail,
universal kit (horizontal or vertical),
and as an update for the Status
System. The update includes a new
graphic that transforms an old game
into BBU.
All graduates are entitled to a
diploma from BBU, available from
Status and its distributors. BBU T-
shirts also are available.
For more information, write Status
Game Corp., 56 Budney Road,
Newington, CT 06111, or call (203)
666-1960 or 1-800/835-7434.
PLAY METEK August 15, 1986
or your route
Quality kits at
low prices
YIBEO COIHECTIOH
930 Jeffrey Lane, Dixon, CA 95620
916 / 678-5189
WANTED
ARCADES, GAME ROOMS.
MINI AMUSEMENT CENTERS,
MALL FAMILY AMUSEMENT CENTERS
Aggr»sslv«, •xp«rl«nc«d arcad*
company Is looking to expand opera¬
tions anywhere in U.S.A. Contact!
GENERAL AMUSEMENT
5400 W. Cullom, Chicago. IL 60641
312 / 281-8211
Air Force base amusement route
in California — FOR SALE
ALSO Grayhound poker and
Trivia games
ILLNESS FORCES SALE
P.O. Box 269 • Sparks, NV 89431
702/331-1320
WANTED: Rowe MC-35 Changer
with double stacker
FOR SALE
Touchdown ($600), Birdie King II ($795)
Skyhunter upright ($450), Samurai ($395)
Jailbreak ($650), Whac-A-Mole ($1750)
Penny Falls ($1750), Tag Team ($350)
TX-1 ($1500), Kicker ($450), Tapper (350)
FOR LEGAL TERRITORY
Dixieland, Highflyer, Nashville.Call
M&P AMUSEMENT CO.
717/848-1846
PHOTO MACHINES
WE BUY AND SELL
CHEMICALS, FLIM, PARTS
BEST PRICES GUARANTEED
OVER NIGHT SERVICE IS YOURS WHEN NEEDED.
...here today, there tomorrow^**
ED HANNA
P.O. Box 290777 • Davie, Florida 33329
305/474-5888
Established 1951
r
BUYING
L '
SELLING
lj
fRADING
INSURANCE
LOSS
CLAIMS
and update
WE ARE AN
IMPORTANT
REFERENCE FOR
PROPERTY TAX
ASSESMENTS.
MANY
ASSESSORS
SUBSCRIBE AND
USE OUR LISTING
AS A GUIDE.
IF YOU USE THE PHONE WHEN
YOU BUY, SELL OR TRADE
YOU SHOULD HAVE THE
<SB PRICE GUIDE HANDY
The man you’re dealing with is
probably using his.
The DRA PRICE GUIDE is the only publication
devoted exclusively to analyzing and assess¬
ing the values of used coin operated equip¬
ment. We are not in our 21st year of publica¬
tion, providing this vital information to dis¬
tributors, operators and manufacturers. We
also list new games,
phonographs and vend¬
ing machines as they are
released and with 150 to
200 new games entering
the market each year,
keeping up to date on
values is essential to
your business.
□ For complete information and a FREE mini B
booklet, mail us this coupon today! |
□ Or mail your check for $75.00 for a years ^
subscription. ■
STRIBUTORS RESEARCH ASSOCIATION |
FL 33166/Tel (305) 871-4980 ■
B Company
City/State/Zip
PUY METER, August 15, 1966
51
WANTED
IDEAS, PRODUCTS OR PROGRAMS
RELATED TO: VIDEO GAMES
VENDING SYSTEMS
LOTTERY PRODUCTS
OUR COMPANY HAS A HISTORY OF
MAKING IDEAS SUCCESSFUL
IF YOU ARE SERIOUS AND YOUR
PRODUCT OR IDEA IS GOOD, THIS
MA Y BE THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME.
TO ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT. WRITE OR CALL:
REMARK INDUSTRIES, INC.
1650 OAK STREET
LAKEWOOD, NJ 08701
(201) 367-7570
A TTN: ANTHONY SHUPIN
ALL INQUIRIES HELD IN CONFIDENCE
ENGUSH MASK DAETS
5000 Series — by Arachnid
Beautilul Condition
$795 ~ each
500 Used Seebuig DEC Consolettes
10 Seebuig Hideaways
AMPS and Control Centers
for USC-SPS-STD Seeburgs
25 Used Wall Gomes
Trapshoot • Foul Play • Baseball
“As Is” but Complete
Used Marantz Coin-Op
Tape Player Piano
Excellent Condition — $2,400
JIM STANSFIELD VENDING
LaCross, Wisconsin
608/782-7181
FRANK’S CRANKS
BEST IN
USED VIDEOS
Space Harrier.$2295
Hang-On. 2595
Crossbow. 995
Commando . 1295
Excitebike. 795
Gauntlet (Special). 1995
Gunsmoke. 895
Hat Trick. 1495
Jailbreak . 995
Karate Champ. 795
Kung Fu Master_^_ 995
Paperboy. 1995
Punch Out!!. 795
VS. Golf. 795
Nemisis. 1695
Ikari Warrior . 2395
Buggy Challenge. 995
Many Reconditioned Pinballs
USED PINBALLS
Chicago Cubs .$ 995
Raven. 1495
Jacks to Open. 595
8-Ball Deluxe. 995
Fire Power II . 995
MERCHANDISING
EQUIPMENT
NEW BIG CHOICE
SINGLE CRANES — $2850
BIG CHOICE
TRIPLE CRANES — CALL
Call us today
for complete list on all
new or reconditioned
videos and pinballs.
ALPHA-OMEGA-SALES
Call Marty or Frank ''The Crank''
201/287-4990
CONVERSION KITS
Guardian.$!
Sky Kid .
Rygar.
Indiana Jones.
Trojan .
Mania Challenge.
Gladiator.
Tokio.
Phraze Craze.
Ring King (2 pi.) .......
World Series..
Empire City.
Roadrunner.
Alley Master.
Arkanoid.
Call for latest kits
SPECIAL:
Spy Hunter — $1195
The Operator's First Choice
6 Sutton Place • Edison, Nj 08817
WE SAVE YOU MONEY
Discover what over 1400 Game Exchange customers in
50 states and several countries have known for a long
time. We have the games you want—we service what
we sell—we save you money. _
JAIL BREAK
KONAMI
Probably the most underrated kit
in the country—We’ve even
reduced the price
NOW ONLY $ 495 .
For Horizontal Monitor Games
GUNSMOKE
ROMSTAR NEW & IMPROVED
The joystick now controls fire
direction and difficulty settings
are eased.
ONLY $ 595 .
For Vertical Monitor Games
SUPER MARIO
BROTHERS
NINTENDO
We’ve dug up a few hardware
and software unisystems at
the promo price. While they last.
$ 795 .
GAUNTLET
4 player dedicated—
preowned and
in excellent condition.
ONLY $ 1995 .
Limited Quantities
TOP CHART KITS
Mania Challenge. CALL
Rygar. CALL
Gladiator. CALL
Big Event Golf. CALL
Road Runner. CALL
Super Mario Brothers. CALL
PINBALLS
PREOWNED
Grand Lizard. $1895
MotorDome. 1695
Raven. 1595
Others From. 199
Quantities Limited
IRON HORSE
KONAMI
Ride to high profits with this
action p^acked western theme
game. The graphics & sound
effects are exceptional.
NOW ONLY $ 495 .
For Horizontal Monitor Games
SUPER NAMCO
KITS
Pacland.
. $595
Gaplus (Galaga III)...
... 399
Galaga.
... 299
ODDS & ENDS
KIT SPECIALS
Shanghai Kid. $399
Battlelanes. CALL
Nintendo Arm Wrestling .... 495
Cloak & Dagger..75
Nova 2001 . 75
Quantities Limited
PREOWNED SYSTEM SOFTWARE
Hogans Alley. $199
Mach Rider. 49
Marble Madness. 199
Snacks ’N’ Jackson. 99
Trivial Pursuit. 199
Vs. Tennis. 150
Indiana Jones. 495
Quantities Limited
NEW
KIT ARRIVALS
Arkanoid. CALL
Empire City 1931. CALL
Land, Sea, Air Squad. CALL
Speed Rumbler. CALL
ATTENTION:
TRACK & FIELD OWNERS
Convert your Track & Field to
Konami’s Wizz Quiz trivia game.
ONLY $ 99 .
SEPTEMBER SPECIAL— FREE Konami Wizz Quiz
Trivia Kit With Purchase of Jailbreak or Iron Horse Kit.
The Game Exchange
(THE ORIGINAL)
1289 ALUM CREEK DRIVE • P.O. BOX 09598 • COLUMBUS, OHIO 43209-0598 • (614) 258-2933
IN OHIO
1 - 800 - 848-1514
CALL TOLL FREE
OUTSIDE OHIO
1 - 800 - 848-0110
SEPTEMBER 1986
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
CONVERSION KITS
Mania Challenge (2-pl. wrestling) .. Call
Torjan (CapHrom/Romstar).$875
Break Thru (commando driving game) 795
Ring King II {2-pl. boxing). 795
Choplifter (hostage drama). 795
VS. UniSystem (with Super Mario) .. 795
Ghosts Goblins (proven winner) . 795
Tiger Heli (fast kit Pac-Man). 725
Gunsmoke (fast kit Pac-Man). 675
Terra Cresta (space shoot ’em up)... 675
Alpha Mission (top earning). 595
Guardian (Taito space shooter). 550
Section Z (Capcom’s latest). 495
Merit Triv Whiz II. 495
jailbreak* (fast kit T'NF). 475
Roller Jammer (skating action!). 395
10-Yard Fight II (football action!) . .. 295
Time Pilot '84* (full kit). 275
Super Basketball (sports theme!) ... 275
Gyruss* (like Calaga). 249
Hyper Sports (fast kit T’NF). 249
Super Punch OutH (for Punch Out!!) 249
Street Heat (w/steering wheel). 199
Hogan's Alley (including new gun).. 195
VS. Baseball (dual system). 195
Nintendo Soccer. 150
*These are trademarks of Konami®
Call or write for free price list.
MUM
930 Jeffrey Lane, Dixon, CA 95620
916/678-5189
Complete Operator Services
CONVERSIONS
Complete Location
Ready—$100.®® Labor
You supply all parts or
ask us about our low prices
on used cabinets and
all needed parts.
5-Day Turnaround
Service Contracts • Leasing
Four Jays of
Merrit Island, Inc.
402 Richard Road
Rockledge, Florida 32955
(305) 639-1373
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.—no collect calls
LEGAL GALAGA for $199
A.P. Engineering converts Atari
Dig Dug P.C. boards into Calaga
24 hour turnaround
1917 Huntington Street, Suite 3
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
714/969-1243
SUMMER CLEARANCE SALE
Used P.C.B’s
Megazone.
. $250
Gyrus.
. $ 99
Punch Out!!.
. 225
Elevator Action ..
99
Time Pilot ’84 ...
. 150
I Robot.
99
10-Yard Fight ...
. 150
Donkey Kong ....
99
Do! Run Run ....
. 125
Super Basketball .
99
Baseball 11.
99
Hyper Sports ....
99
Circus.
99
Time Pilot.
99
Exerion.
99
Jr. Pac-Man.
99
Millipede.
99
Ms. Pac-Man.
99
Crystal Castles..
99
Tapper.
99
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SE HABLA ESPANOL
If you don’t see what you want,
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V&E VENDING
1640 East New York Ave. • Brooklyn, N.Y. 11212
(718) 346-8165 • Telex: 710 110 1719
LOUISE’S HARNESS SHOP
Rt. 3, Box 72
Prattville, AL 36067
Video Game Harness and
Donkey Kong Monitor
Conversion Kit
Prices start at $15.®®
Write or Call
205/365-1841
@ PAYPHONES: Direct from manu¬
facturer. First to acquire FCC#.
Durable, no shortcuts, cheapj
S parts or exaggerations. $350. ^
J CORDLESS PAYPHONE: Call ^
anywhere from the convenience of mj
your table. $340. 608/582-4124. Wj
9-9 CDT. Factory reps welcome.
IT’S NO YOKE!
Tubes - New
19" (fits new Wells Gardner) .. $89.95
13" (fits Nanoa-Kaga). 79.95
Star Tree Monitor Chassis - New 29.95
Coleco Mini Power Supply. 9.95
+5V .9A. -5V .1A. +12V .3A
Buttons - short, long, colors.29 i
Tempest Deflection PCB - New .. 24.95
Tempest Flyback Trans. - New .. 9.95
Coin Meters - New. 2.95
Wico Coin Door (#15-983300) - New
Wico’s Price $73.38, ours. 39.95
Mr. Do! Overlays - colorful. 3.95
Centipede Overlays - original ... 16.95
Centipede Trac-ball roller set ... 5.95
Millipede Trac-ball roller set_ 6.95
4" Fans - New. 9.95
PRODUCTS, LTD,
213 / 516-9522
LASER OPERATORS:
Lucrative Collection Available
SUPER DON QUIX-OTE
fully animated fantasy love
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Universal Factory Kit $249 or
save $100: 2 for $398!
Cobra Command Kits—$295
Fits Cliffhanger, MACH 3, Astron Belt
¥ID£0 COHIECTIOI
916/678-5189
PLAY METEK August 15, 1986
One System...Every Video Game!
NEW GAMES! NEW CABINETS! READYTOPLAY!
19" MONITORS! COCKTAIL OR UPRIGHT!
STAINLESS STEEL CONTROL PANELS!
FORMICA INSIDE AND OUT!
INTERCHANGE GAMES IN MINUTES!
READY FOR YOUR LOCATION!
Battlelanes ....
....$1595
Flash Gal.
..$1395
Jailbreak.
.... 1495
Yie Ar Kung Fu .
.. 1395
Scion.
... 1495
Son-Son.
.. 1200
Commando ...
,... 1395
Time Pilot.
.. 1200
New easy play Romstar Gunsmoke.. .$1695
OTHER GAMES AVAILBLE ON REQUEST
SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY
Maximize your profits...
Game Operator's Corporation
1617 West Harry • Wichita, Kansas 67213
(316) 267-7371
The Answer® is your solution.
TOP PRICES
PAID
FOR MALL LOCATED
AMUSEMENT CENTERS
IN THESE STATES:
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CONTACT
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Rydal, PA 19046
All replies
confidential
MARCH 20,21,22 . NEW ORLEANS
KIDDIERIDES
BUY • SELL • TRADE/USED • REBUILT • NEW^
WE HAVE THE LARGEST SELECTION OF KIDDIERIDES THAT WERE MADE AND/OR SOLD BY:
Northland Engineering Bally Altec United Tool
North American Amusement E.M.T. Bafco Newborough
Amusement Technology A.T.M. Utec Miracle
Kiddlerldes U.S.A. M.K.C. Brooks Carousel
Quality Design Jiffy Rondina Whittaker
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Edwin Hawkins . . . plus many, many more
MOST EVERY BRAND. MAKE, MODEL. YOU NAME IT — CHANCES ARE WE'VE GOT IT.
WE RE THE
INNOVATORS
THE KIDDIERIDE EXCHANGE INC. ;J2th street
_AMERICA'S Ist MAJOR WHOLESALER_ (309) 788-0135
PLAY METER, August 15, 1966
55
GUEST COMMENTARY
An answer to Roger Sharpe
by Joe Robbins
I think Roger Sharpe’s commentary in the June
15 issue of Play Meter [page 82, “A decade of
change: Are things really different?”] is typical of
the response one would get from an intellectual
living In the wilds of Connecticut.
Roger is not a real Yankee, however, and he has
been around long enough in this Industry to be able
to take a more clear-sighted view than the myopic
one of his article.
In a scattershot way he takes aim at the AGMA-
AAMA, the AMOA, the state associations and
anyone else that comes into his mind. I fear that
Roger undertook the essay In an off-the-cuff spirit
and without feeling the need to do any research. He
certainly didn’t dig for any facts, and If he inter¬
viewed even one important personality in our indus¬
try, he fails to mention him. I doubt that he took the
time to do so, but if he had I’ll bet his commentary
might have had a different slant, that is, if he had
written it at all.
It is easy to fault AGMA, AAMA, AMOA, etc. for
not doing enough in the way of public relations. It is
easy to point the finger and say, “It’s all your fault
that our Industry doesn’t have equal respectability
with similar entertainment areas.” It’s easy, but is it
fair? And Is the situation really as bad as Roger
says?
Well, I say It can’t be that bad. I was president of
AGMA-AAMA for four years. During that time, with
the added tremendous effort of Glenn Braswell, the
organization tackled the public-relations problem.
And we attacked it not only witJ>dollars, but with
great personal efforts. Many of us worked very hard
and long. Maybe you can’t see all the results, and
maybe some of the money was wasted, but we tried.
God knows we tried. And, to some extent at least, we
succeeded.
Almost every large shopping mall in the U.S.
today has a gameroom. Mall gamerooms are doing
well, and as tenants they are highly respected by
mall developers. Thousands of convenience stores
have anywhere from one to six games in them; they
are really mini-arcades. Most U.S. airports have
gamerooms. And it is a fact that there is almost no
new legislative pressure on our industry today from
national, state, or local government.
When Roger postulates that there would be
difficulties today in obtaining a gameroom license,
he is just guessing. Very few operators are looking
to open street-type gamerooms today.
Many have unselfishly lent their efforts to
improving the image of this industry. With apologies
to those I leave out. I’ll name just a few: Sharon
Harris, Bob Rondeau, Bill Cravens, Larry Van
Brackel, Gene Urso, Norm Goldstein, Bob Lloyd,
Paul Moriarlty, Ira Bettleman, Jon Brady, and
Ruben Franco.
Oh, yes, we haven’t done it all, Roger, but we
started way down in the mud, and I believe we’ve
come a long way. And, yes, Roger, we’ve got a long
way to go yet. But we’ll not get there by wringing our
hands and crying in despair and shame. We’ll get
there by digging In and working at It and by raising
money from every direction to continue the fight.
If you want to help, Roger, you are welcome to
join us. But please, before you lift up that vitriolic
pen again, take a little time to find out what indeed
went on and what Is going on now.
My final plea to Roger Sharpe and all the Roger
Sharpes in our industry Is, to paraphrase a quote,
please ask not what this industry can do for you. Ask
what you can do for this industry.
[Editor’s note: Joe Robbins is president of the
Sun Corporation of America (formerly Kitkorp) and
is a past president of the American Amusement
Machine Association (AAMA) and its predecessor,
the Amusement Game Manufacturers Association
(AGMA). After submitting this commentary,
Robbins further added that the industry report
referred to in Sharpe’s June 15 commentary was
commissioned by AGMA because it was the best
approach the association could afford to counter
the industry’s public-relations problems. The alter¬
native, he said, was a multi-million-dollar media
campaign. "Hundreds, maybe thousands, ’’ used the
report, Robbins said, adding that at their own
expense he and others appeared at many local-
government hearings to represent industry
interests.]
56
PLAY METEK August 15, 1986
, A .‘-v& ^
k m
mmST/li^
Now available in special
cocktail table kit.
3043 KASHIWA ST., TORRANCE, CA 90505 (213) 539-2744 FAX (213) 539-3626 Telex: 182426
NOTICE: ARKANOID IS LICENSED EXCLUSIVELY TO ROMSTAR, INC. FROM TAITO AMERICA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
★
Give Them More Of What They
★ All new game play featuring over
100 new mazes, more new mon¬
sters and unique player objectives.
★ Includes the same outstanding
Gauntlet buy-in and add-a-coin
features to encourage multiple
coin play.
★ Earnings that rival the ATARI
original Gauntlet. games
III
A
Join In On The Player
Quest Promotion
★ Atari will be giving
away over $ 12,000 in
cash and prizes.
All Gauntlet 11 games
and kits* contain a pro¬
motional package for
the Player Quest.
The packet consists of a
poster, official entry
forms, player tips and a
contest marquee.
k Players must perform a
special task within a Se¬
cret Room, obtain a
personalized Secret
Code and mail this
code to Atari on an
official entry form.
U.S. and Canada only
Available as whole games for 2 or 4 players
and as a conversion kit for all original Gauntlets.
© 1986 Atari Games Corporation. All rights reserved.
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